Capacitance
by MightyMackinac
Summary: Izuku Midoriya was born with a quirk that has unlimited potential. Faster, stronger, smarter, and more powerful than even All Might. His rise to the top will see him fight friends and villains along the way. The only thing standing in his way is himself. Poly-relationship, Izuku/Katsuki Friendship, UA as a College, Super OP!Deku, Dad-Might, Genderbending, Violence, Trans Character
1. Chapter 1: Infusion

No, you aren't going crazy. I am rewriting Capacitance. This is the remade Chapter 1. Please enjoy! More info at the bottom!

* * *

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear." The man's cold, steely voice was calm, but forceful, impressing the seriousness of the situation upon the thug sprawled on the ground in front of him.

The thug glanced into the grey eyes of the tall man standing over him, the piercing gaze shooting fear through every nerve in his body. His grey hair was neatly combed back, his dark suit pressed and sharp, and the umbrella he carried was definitely designer made. This man was one of gravitas and means. Yet, the sick and disturbing smile he had on his face as he leaned down was one of a crazed or disturbed person, one set in their ideals. A _fanatic_.

"When I said that I wanted information, it wasn't a suggestion or me being polite. Now..." He reached out a hand, a purplish glow covering it. The same aura covered the thug on the ground, before it lifted him into the air, at the same height as the man, his hand still reaching out.

"For the last time," the man growled out, as he leaned forward, studying the thug in his grasp, "where is the Shie Hassaikai headquarters? I know it's close by. You and your little group of children and mischief-makers are causing trouble for me and I want to talk."

It took the thug a great amount of effort to talk, the telekinetic aura holding all of his muscles in place tightly, but he managed to stammer, "F-fuck you, man. I-I a-ain't saying s-shit."

The man glared at him in silence for a second and then sighed heavily, shaking his head, "Fine. Have it your way." He gestured with his outstretched hand, and the thug glided towards it, his head getting caught by an open palm.

"I am sorry for this, but you give me no choice. Quirk Activation: Brain Drain." The man said as the thug struggled. Several red tendrils climbed down the man's hand, wrapping around the thug's head.

"Now, show me what I need to see." The thug started squirming harder, and he found his voice, a strangled cry sounding out as the man's quirk interfaced with his brain, the tendrils connecting to each neuron in rapid succession, reading the memories stored in each. As each memory was read, the tendrils ripped out of the neurons, leaving dead husks in their wake, the thug's brain slowly dying as it was stripped of all knowledge and memory. When the tendrils hit the hippocampus, the man gave a final flop and twitch and then went still as his body lost its control center.

When the tendrils had finished their assault, they retreated back into the standing man's hand and delivered their plundered gift back to their master.

"Ah, there it is. And you even gave me the access code. How thoughtful." He perused the stolen memories, glancing at the lifeless husk he was grasping. "Well, not anymore, I suppose." The man released the dark purple aura and nonchalantly threw the thug's body against the wall, a sickening thump and splat as it smacked into the brick. Blood began pooling underneath the slumped form as it settled onto the ground.

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone, pressing a contact on the home screen, and placing the phone to his ear. There was a brief moment while the line connected.

_"Enshentowanzu Cuisine. Table for how many?"_ a female voice sounded on the other end.

"One. May I speak to the manager, please? I found something in my stew last time and need to discuss it with him." The man said calmly as he strode out into the starlit alley, his eyes adjusting with the help of an Infrared Vision quirk.

_"One second, please. Connecting you now."_ The female voice said before there was a click and an older male voice sounded out, _"This is the manager, how can I help you?"_

"Doctor, I have the location. Is the experiment ready?" The man said.

_"Ah, All for One. Yes, we are ready at your command,"_ the doctor said, faint rustling and a klaxon sounded in the background.

"Good. Send it to the warehouse until I can get back. Then we will go from there."

_"Understood. Hurry back, I think I have another one for you. And Shimura has surfaced again,"_ the doctor finished.

All for One's eyes twitched in annoyance at the name, but said nothing further, closing the cell phone and pocketing it.

"It's about time," he said, a chill in his voice, a puff of steam leaving his mouth. A couple drops of rain fell, prompting All for One to swing his umbrella up as the drizzle turned into a downpour.

He cursed under his breath as he trudged to the car parked by the side of the road, "I really must figure out this weather control quirk."

* * *

Toshinori Yagi, known to the world as All Might, grinned wide as he flashed his trademark smile for the cameras that crowded him, the press and fans snapping pictures as fast as they could before he took off again. Seven feet tall and a muscular frame to fit, with golden hair, and a red, white, and blue hero costume, he was the perfect picture of a hero, the Symbol of Peace for all in Japan. He smiled brightly for a couple more pictures before waving his hands.

**"Alright, folks. Thanks for your time, but now I must be off! Evil never rests!"** he said in his trademark booming voice, crouching low, tensing up for a leap over the nearest building. The crowd of people pulled back, not wanting to get caught up in his slipstream. After kicking off with a mighty blast, leaving a whirlwind whipping up dust and leaves, he focused his mind as he soared through the air, prepping for his landing.

_'That last villain was a pushover, but one mustn't get complacent when you're at the top. Keep smiling, keep fighting.'_ He reminded himself, the words of his master echoing in his mind. It had been nearly five years since her fateful run in with _him_, but they still sounded as if she had told them to him yesterday.

He landed on top of a highrise gracefully, not even cracking the concrete as his massive 300 kilogram form touched the ground with practised ease. He took a deep steadying breath and surveyed the area around him. City blocks sprawled for kilometers in every direction, the sky bright, light, fluffy clouds dotting it sporadically. It was quiet up here, way above everything else. Toshinori sighed as he relaxed a little, breathing in the clean air, relishing in the momentary peace.

He sat down on the edge of the building, surveying the city as people flitted across its streets, cars and busses trundling along in their chaotic motions. He liked these little moments; it was time to think, time to observe, time to reflect. He looked back on his training, the hard work he put into it. His master and her friend, Gran Torino, had trained him, helping to get him to where he was.

He lost himself in his memory and reflection until a high scream pierced the veil. He shrugged it off, and immediately looked for the source, seeing someone getting chased by two others into an alley below him. He stood quickly, and tensed, calculating the jump he would need, before launching into the air one more time.

Down below, the woman had screamed when two men had jumped out at her, grabbing for her bag, yelling obscenities as she took off, her long green hair whipping in the wind as she ran.

She turned into an alley and sank down behind a dumpster, praying that she was hidden. Fear seized her nerves like ice in her veins when she heard one of them snarl out, "Come on out, pretty lady. We just want the bag. We don't want to hurt you."

The other spoke up, "Oh, but we will if we have to. We're getting kinda hungry."

There was a bang as one of them knocked against the dumpster, causing her fear to betray her as she gasped loudly. She scrambled up and bolted further down the alley.

"There she goes! Let's get 'er!" The first mugger called out, pulling on his buddy. They ran after the woman, reaching out as they closed the distance. But just as the other mugger was in grabbing distance, a loud whistle sound made them look up as a huge shadow crossed their faces.

"Oh, fuck m-" the first mugger managed to get out before All Might crashed down on top of them, halting their progress immediately.

**"Have no fear! I am here!"** All Might said, spouting his catchphrase. He effortlessly grabbed the two muggers, slamming them into each other, both of them going limp, knocked out from All Might's power play. He saw a discarded metal pole and picked it up.

**"This should do nicely,"** he said, more to himself than the woman. He bent over and twisted the metal pole around the muggers' middles, restraining them tightly.

**"Sorry I took so long, miss. You vanished into the alley and I lost track. Good thing I heard these two scumbags shouting."** All Might said as he stood up, turning to look at the woman behind him. **"I hope you will for-"**

The person he saw made him stop mid sentence. A blast from the past. Someone he had never expected to run into again.

"**Inko."** He said in a low voice, still not quite believing his eyes.

"Hello, Toshi. Long time no see. Well, I mean...I've seen you, but ah-" she stammered out, trying to catch her breath. She took a long steadying breath and let the adrenaline fade. She stood up tall and smiled up at him, her bright green eyes glinting in the sunlight.

"It's been, what, seven years?" she asked, looking thoughtful for a second.

Toshinori nodded, still stunned, her hair and smile enthralling him yet again, just as it had all those years ago in school.

**"It's...good to see you again, Inko. Are you alright?"** He asked, careful to keep his voice moderated.

She nodded, still smiling. "Of course, I'm alright. You're here."

A memory stirred within Toshinori's mind.

_A blond boy and a green haired girl walk to school. Concern washes over the girl's face._

_"Hey, are you okay?" the blond boy asks._

_The green haired girl blinks and flashes a brilliant smile chuckling at the boy, "Of course I am, Toshi! You're here!"_

Inko looked at him with slight concern, the tall hero still hadn't taken his eyes off of her.

"I suppose I should ask the same to you, Toshi. Are you alright?" she asked delicately, reaching out, gently laying her soft hand on his forearm. He blinked and nodded, his smile spreading a little, shifting from the facade to a real smile for the first time in years.

**"I am, thank you. I'm sorry, Inko, but I have to get going."** He gently placed his hand on her much smaller one, the softness of her skin feeling wonderful, making him wish he could stay longer.

**"I need to turn these two in,"** he said, looking down at the knocked out muggers, moving to grab them.

A subtle motion from Inko stopped him however, and he turned back to her. She had a look of indecision on her face, before it settled and her brilliant smile was back. She stared back up into his brilliant blue eyes.

"Uh, before you go...I'd like to thank you for saving me. If I invite you for tea, would you be able to stop by?" She engaged her best puppy dog eyes, hoping to lure him in.

He stared at her for a second before the gears in his head started turning. The look she was giving him was overriding every neuron and electron in his brain.

**"I'd love to."**

_'WHY THE HELL DID I SAY THAT!?'_

Her smile made everything more than worth it. She looked absolutely angelic, the happiness radiating from her was infectious. He resigned himself to his fate, knowing that it was going to end with her amazing cooking and tea.

"Good. Seven o'clock. Here's the address." She said, writing down the address to her apartment on a slip of paper. "Try not to be late," she added, a smirk on her face. She handed him the slip of paper, and leaned up to kiss his cheek, making the monster of a man blush oh so slightly.

"You still like those American chocolate cookies with the cream filling, yes?" She asked as she pulled back, Toshinori giving a dumbfounded nod. She smiled as she patted his arm. "Oh good, I'll pick some up on the way home."

Turning to exit the alley, she looked back, flipping her hair over her shoulder, just like she knew Toshinori liked, and winked at him. "Thanks again, _All Might_. I _really_ appreciate it." She said before turning back and quickly leaving the scene.

He stared after her, his mouth slightly agape before he slapped himself out of the stupor. Leaning down to grab the muggers, he smiled broadly.

His old high school crush, Inko Midoriya, was still around these parts. Who could have known?

With a blast of air, and a firm grip on the muggers, he launched into the air towards the police station, confidence renewed, and happiness at an all time high. Now he just had to navigate tea with Inko, and not screw anything up.

_'Like that would ever happen,'_ he thought with a smile.

* * *

_'How did I screw things up this badly? I mean...what are the odds?'_

He was late. Again. He was positive she was going to flay him alive. He shuddered slightly, the memory of the time he had been late popping up. Their first true date after tea, he had left her waiting for nearly half an hour. The smile she had given him had him quaking in his boots, terrified for his existence.

_'It was a simple robbery, how did it turn into an hour long fight!?'_

Toshinori landed on the concrete pad of the entrance to the apartment complex and adjusted his tie as he climbed up the stairs. He took a deep breath when he reached the door and knocked, bracing for the worst to greet him. There was the rapid sound of approaching footsteps and a turn of the lock and the handle, and the door swung open.

"I was beginning to get worried, dear. You're not usually this late." She smiled up at him, gesturing him inside.

**"I'm sorry for making you worry, Inko. It turned out far worse than I had expected,"** Toshinori said as he ducked into the apartment.

"Toshi, in the three years that we have been dating, not once have you turned down a fight or risen the occasion when someone needed help," Inko said, turning to look up at him, reaching up and pulling him down for a kiss.

After breaking it, she turned back to the kitchen, "And I certainly don't hate your hero work; I know how important it is. But you have got to start expecting the worst when going into a fight, and letting me know ahead of time."

She put the finishing touches on the food on the table, and placed glasses down as Toshinori took a seat.

"You remember what Gran said." She said pointedly, as she poured water for the both of them and then took a seat.

**"Plan for the worst, hope for the best."** he recited, nodding at the pearl of wisdom his old mentor had reinforced.

"Oh good, you _do_ remember," Inko said facetiously, grinning up at him as she sipped her tea.

Toshinori smiled sheepishly at her before regarding the meal in front of them, a large hotpot with noodles.

**"Thank you, love. It smells wonderful,"** he said as she dished out some food for the both of them. They gave thanks for the meal and tucked in, enjoying the wonderful flavors, the hot broth, and the tender beef and pork. Soon enough, the meal was done, and Toshinori helped Inko with the dishes, brushing the bowls in the sink, right next to her as she dried the bowls he'd finished cleaning.

"You know...I was talking to Rei the other day," Inko stated.

**"Oh? And how is Missus Number Three?"** Toshinori said with some amusement, chuckling softly.

Inko smiled softly, "Now, Toshi, don't go gloating. You know that the Todorokis' work harder than everyone else, especially after what happened."

Toshinori's smile faded and his gaze unfocused as he scrubbed the pot. The eldest Todoroki had vanished, with not so much as a hair from Touya's head left behind. The Hero Association had granted Endeavor and Blizzard as much time off as they wanted to help them, but they refused. They would find their son at any cost. All Might had even taken part in two of the searches and three of the raids on suspected locations of kidnappers, but nothing, hardly even dust was ever found. That was a year ago, and it seemed like they were finally moving on.

"Anyway, I was talking to her the other day, and she said that she, Mitsuki, and the Urarakas' were planning a cookout in a couple of weeks. Something about getting all of us together for some fun and something about a big announcement."

She glanced over at him curiously, "Would you like to go?"

He glanced up from the pot and smiled, nodding, **"I'd like that. It'll be good to see Masaru again, and Enji outside of work. I imagine Omoitsu will be too busy?"** he asked.

Inko nodded, "That man works so hard, and yet has so little to show for it," she said, a bitter edge to her voice.

**"If he wasn't so proud and actually accepted help, I'd bet he'd be better off. You remember the last time I asked if I could help?"** he said, letting out a chuckle.

Inko snorted and shook her head as she placed the last bowl into the cupboard, "I didn't think anyone was going to escape that lecture about the value of hard honest work. Thank God for Natsuo and his fever."

She turned back to Toshinori as he drained the sink and put away the dish cleaning supplies.

"So then, next weekend. The Todorokis' are hosting. And before you leave..." She reached for him, kissing him tightly on the lips, wrapping her arms around his neck for a tight hug, nuzzling her nose into the crook of his neck.

_**"I wish I didn't have to go,"**_ he said, his voice barely a whisper as he hugged his beloved.

_"Soon you won't have to."_ Inko said, glancing at the engagement ring around her finger, smiling softly as she ran her finger across it.

**"Two more months,"** Toshinori said as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

"Two more months," She repeated, kissing him again. "Now, get going. Make the world a better place."

He chuckled and gave her one more hug before turning to leave. Inko followed him out to the entrance way, and watched him climb down the stairs to the concrete pad in the center of the apartment complex.

He waved before he launched off, and Inko waved back, watching him soar through the sky until he was out of sight, her hand falling to rest on the barely noticeable bump of her belly.

_"Two more months, then another six. I can't wait,"_ she whispered to herself, before turning back into the apartment.

* * *

Toshinori paced nervously, walking in a circle around the waiting room, occasionally glancing up at the clock that seemed to be moving slower and slower.

"Toshinori, if you continue to pace like that, I fear for the structure of the floor." All Might's sidekick and friend, Mirai Sasaki, stated from his chair against the window. He was turned in his chair, looking out the window, watching the city through the heavy rain.

"Besides, I told you, you have nothing to worry about. I swear, you are more nervous than you were on your wedding day." Mirai turned to study his friend, a warm smile on his face.

Toshinori stopped and looked at Mirai, chuckling softly, "**Of course, I should know better. I'm sorry for doubting you, my friend."** He walked over next to Mirai and sat down, relaxing a bit, but his leg bounced nervously regardless.

"It's nothing, old friend." Mirai said with a smirk, turning to look at the door to the ward as if expecting someone. A second later, the door opened and a nurse walked out, looking at her clipboard, a smile on her face. She looked up at the two men, and nodded to Toshinori.

"We are ready for you now, All Might. She's just about there," the nurse said, gesturing for him to follow her. Both men stood quickly, with Mirai placing a hand on Toshinori's shoulder. Toshinori glanced at his friend, who nodded and gave him a small push. Toshinori sighed and then walked purposefully up to the nurse, following her closely. They passed a couple of dark rooms, before coming to a well-lit room. The nurse stopped outside the door and gestured for him to go inside. He ducked slightly and opened the curtain carefully, the sight inside the room making him stop in awe.

His gorgeous bride, the love of his life, smiling broadly at him, her bright green eyes looking exhausted, her long silky hair looking matted and slick with sweat. She was reclining on the hospital bed, her legs up, covered in a sheet. The doctor glanced up at him, his rectangular glasses glinting in the light, and nodded, motioning him to Inko's side. She sighed with happiness as she felt his huge hand envelope her's as he took a seat next to her.

"I missed you, my love." She said, her voice breaking slightly from exhaustion and thirst, as she laid her head against his large shoulder.

**"Same, dearest."** He leaned down and kissed her head gently. **"How are you doing?"**

Inko closed her eyes for a brief moment, and sighed, before grunting heavily, pushing the fruit of their love closer to life.

"I-I'm fine now. You are here," she said, huffing deeply, her voice weakening, "Though, I-I'd be a lot better o-once this is done."

"We are getting close, Mrs. Midoriya. You are fully dilated, so it should be any minute. Just a couple more good strong pushes." The doctor's voice drifted out from behind the sheet.

Inko took a couple of deep breaths in preparation.

"Well, here we go."

* * *

A week later, Toshinori and Mirai helped Inko across the threshold of their apartment, careful to make sure she was stable, the baby carrier held tightly in Toshinori's other hand. He had been incredibly attentive since their family had grown, but his fretting was starting to wear on Inko's nerves a bit.

"Toshi, love, you don't need to worry so much. I'm fine and Izuku is asleep." She stepped to the side, allowing them enough room to come inside, hand out for the baby carrier. He gently passed the carrier to her and pulled their bags behind him. Mirai tightly sealed the door behind him as he watched Inko pull Izuku from the carrier, his tiny head covered in green peach fuzz hair.

**"I know, dear. I just…"** He stopped mid sentence as she cradled their son, leaning up to kiss him.

"I adore you but please. Relax," she said, grinning as she turned, walking into their bedroom, cradling Izuku as she laid down to rest. Toshinori watched from the door, and waved to her as he closed the door.

"She'll be fine, Toshinori," Mirai said calmly from the living room. He had taken a place in one of the arm chairs, sitting back and enjoying the clean and calm of the apartment.

Toshinori nodded as he joined Mirai, sitting opposite him, **"I know. But with All for One gaining power, I can't help but be worried that he will find them. I can't let anything happen to them."**

Mirai studied his friend for a long couple of seconds, "Toshinori, you know that it's not just you that will help protect them. You have a great many friends, myself included, that would give everything to help." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small notebook, and flipped it open.

"On top of that, I pushed myself the other day while you and Inko were resting," he said, looking over his notebook at his friend, who had a curious look on his face. "Do you want to know, or would you prefer it to remain a mystery?"

Toshinori debated for a couple of seconds. Mirai's quirk, Foresight, was infallible. They had used it many times in the past, and would continue to use it in the future. But he knew that if he opened that door, it would never be closed again.

**"Just tell me this. Will they be okay?"** Toshinori asked finally, looking up at his friend cautiously.

Mirai's normally stoic face cracked a bit, as he recognized his friend making the rational decision, a small smile forming. He looked down at his notes and burned them into his memory, before nodding to Toshinori, and saying, "Yes. I'd dare to say they do quite well. You will be immensely proud of Izuku, of that, I'm sure."

He then ripped the page out of his notebook and pulled out a lighter, setting the page aflame as he placed it onto a dish on the coffee table, turning the prediction to ash. They watched the page burn for a couple of seconds, before Mirai looked back up at Toshinori, a glint in his eye.

"One freebie I will give you, old friend. You will have your work cut out for you. Izuku will be the best of all of us."

* * *

Three months later in the middle of October, the whole gang was together in Inko and Toshinori's small apartment. Toshinori was swapping stories with Enji, Mirai, Masaru and Omoitsu in the living room, raucous laughter following each story they told. Meanwhile, Inko was talking to Rei, Mitsuki, and a very pregnant Keiryo Uraraka going over baby pictures and designs for future outfits. The older Todoroki children were watching the television in the den, keeping to themselves. Each group was enjoying snacks and tea, Inko's homemade specialties.

"I just can't believe how fast they are growing!" Inko exclaimed as she held onto Izuku, watching Rei play with her ten month old twins, Shoko and Shoto, both with red and white hair, split down the center, though Shoko's was flipped from her brother's.

"Ten months already," Mitsuki said, shaking her head, looking down at her own son, Katsuki, as he slept peacefully, nestled against her. "This little guy is just six months old, and already I know he's going to be a pain in the ass."

The ladies all laughed, memories of Mitsuki and her spitfire attitude during their high school years flooding back to them. Keiryo absentmindedly rubbed her belly as she thought back, before looking up at her friends, "Remember when we said that we were all going to team up? One of the first heroine teams ever." She sighed wistfully, "Such crazy dreams we had."

Inko looked deep in thought, and then smiled broadly, shaking her head, "No, I don't think it was a crazy dream. I think we did it. I mean, look at us." She glanced at each woman in turn, "We each settled down, some sooner than others." She smiled brightly at Rei and Mitsuki, "And we each support the others. Our kids are going to grow up together, and even our husbands all get along," she finished, glancing over her shoulder as another round of laughter echoed from the living room.

Each of the mothers had wide smiles, and some sniffles were wiped away. Inko looked down at Izuku in her arms, his peaceful face making her heart swell with happiness. She kissed him gently on the head, and brushed his hair, before looking back up at the women around the table.

"Sure, Rei may be the only licensed hero out of all of us, but I think we have the best team right now. And I wouldn't change it for anything."

* * *

"Izuku! No fair! You're taller than us!" Shoko said, pouting heavily, flashing her bright blue and gray eyes up into Izuku's bright green. She reached up for the large red ball he was holding up out of the reach of Shoko and Ochako, his three inch height difference giving him the advantage as he held it aloft. Even at four years old, Izuku was a big kid; taller and stronger than the others, even Bakugo, who Mitsuki said was growing like a weed.

Ochako followed suit and put on her best puppy dog eyes, "Yeah, 'Zuku, 's'not fair! You can't jus' hold it fo'ever."

Izuku smiled broadly as he looked down at the girls, and felt a tug at his heartstrings as they pouted up at him, their brilliant blue and brown eyes sparkling in the sunlight of the local park they were playing in. Izuku's smile broke slightly, and he looked over at Shoto who was waiting for him to pass.

"Shoko, stop teasing Izuku." Shoto said bluntly, gesturing for Izuku to pass the ball and catching it deftly as it was tossed over, "Play fair."

Shoko glared at her brother, sticking out her tongue and winking her left gray eye. Katsuki, a couple feet away, snorted derisively, earning a glare of annoyance from Shoko as well. He smirked, "She's not playing fair 'cuz she knows that she can't beat me."

"What do you mean?" Shoto asked, frowning slightly as he looked at Katsuki, throwing the ball to him, "We have the same quirk."

"Yeah, but it's nothing next to mine!" Katsuki boasted, thumbing his chest with his left hand and catching the ball with his right. "I'm gonna be the next Number One! And you guys will just be sidekicks!"

"That's not true! Our parents' quirks are way better than your stupid quirk!" Shoko said, turning away from Izuku and Ochako to glare directly at Katsuki. She moved to stand next to her brother, raising her arms defensively.

Katsuki's smirk widened, "Oh yeah? Let's see it then!"

He reeled his arm back and launched the ball right at Shoko, aided by a small explosion, sending the ball rocketing towards her. Her eyes tracked the ball and she reached out to stop the missile, but it passed right through her outstretched hands and slammed right into her stomach, knocking her back a couple of feet and causing her to fall to the ground.

"SHOKO!" three voices called out at the same time.

Izuku and Ochako rushed to Shoko as she was coughing on the ground, rubbing her stomach, and giving Katsuki a death glare from underneath her white and red bangs. Shoto looked back at Shoko with concern for a split second, and then turned to face Katsuki, giving him a similar glare. He raised his frosty right arm, ready to fight, before he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked back to see Izuku glaring at Katsuki too.

"That was dangerous, Kacchan! Shoko is way stronger than you think she is!" Izuku called out, pointing back in the direction of where Shoko had landed. Katsuki glared at him, before a look of surprise crossed his face.

"I AM NOT WEAK!"

Shoko jumped out from behind Shoto as she shouted and thrust her right hand forward. Time seemed to slow down for Izuku as he saw her move. A small flame burst into existence before it grew and lept towards Katsuki. Katsuki's eyes caught the movement and he responded, putting his hands up, small sparks and pops bursting out before an explosion formed in his palms.

Izuku reacted, shoving Shoto out of the way of the expanding explosion, and instinctively threw his hands up to block Shoko's and Katsuki incoming attacks. He shut his eyes as he felt the heat of the fire and heard the roar of the incoming fireball, waiting for the inevitable pain. Instead of pain, however, he felt a pleasant breeze, a warm wind rushing over his fingers. He peeked at his outstretched hands, scared of what he might see.

A coil of light, fire, and smoke spiraled around his palms and forearms in a double helix, the light and heat settling into his skin, waves of soft golden light travelling up his arms. He stared in awe as the light spread across his skin, fading slowly as he turned his arms over watching the rings of light dissipate. Disbelieving his own eyes, he looked up at Katsuki, who's face mirrored his own, one of shock and amazement.

"W-what was that?" Izuku stammered out as he glanced back at Shoto, Shoko and Ochako, their faces mimicking Izuku and Katsuki's surprise. Katsuki's surprised look vanished, replaced by a gleeful and excited smile.

"Izuku, that's gotta be your quirk!" He said excitedly, prompting everyone to look at him and then back at Izuku. He put his hands up again with a flair of pops and sparks. "C'mon, let's see how strong it is!"

Izuku was looking back down at his own hands, when another set lightly rested on his arm, the alabaster skin of Shoko touching him. He turned his gaze to meet Shoko's and was alarmed to see tears in her eyes.

"S-Shoko?" he asked quietly.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." Shoko said through her tears, wiping them away as she held onto Izuku's left arm tightly.

"'Oko, I don' think you hurt him." Ochako said as she walked up next to them, inspecting Izuku's arm and hand, grabbing it and turning it over. "There's not even burns."

Shoto kept his distance, but turned to look at Katsuki, "You're lucky he didn't get hurt. Auntie Inko would have been mad." Katsuki just smirked, "He's got a quirk that made my explosion _and_ Shoko's fire go away! He's fine!"

Izuku smiled as Ochako and Shoko looked him over, "Yeah, see? I'm good!" He looked up from his arm to Shoko, "It didn't hurt either! Just felt warm." She had stopped crying, but still looked scared.

"C'mon Izuku, I wanna test your quirk!" Katsuki said, huffing as the girls finished their inspection.

"We gotta show Auntie Inko!" Ochako said, grabbing Shoko and Izuku's hands, pulling them away towards the park exit.

"Fine! But then we test after!" Katsuki called out, running after them, Shoto bringing up the rear.

The troop rushed back to the Midoriyas' apartment, all of them eager to show Inko what Izuku could do.

* * *

A week later, Toshinori arrived at their home after another long day, the fights and rescues weighing heavily on his shoulders and his mind. He sighed deeply as he walked into the cozy apartment, breathing in deeply, the wonderful aroma of Inko's soul-saving cooking almost smothering him.

"Welcome home, Toshi!" Inko softly called out from the kitchen. "Dinner's on the table."

**"Thank you, love. It's been a day."** He hung up his coat and swapped his boots for his slippers. He never wore his hero uniform at home, the special outfit locked up tight in his agency a couple of blocks away. As he walked towards the kitchen, he noticed Izuku's door, with his son's name burned into an All Might name plate, was closed tight, not a single sound coming from behind it.

Inko stuck her head around the corner to look at Toshinori, who glanced at her, and jabbed a finger at Izuku's door, questioningly. She smiled broadly and gestured to him to join her in the kitchen. He nodded and quietly walked towards her, leaning down and kissing her deeply, relaxing immediately at her touch.

"Hm..." She hummed against his warm muscular chest. "I missed you." Toshinori wrapped his arms around his wife, and picked her up gently, kissing her again. She giggled softly as he carried her into the kitchen, setting her down at the table.

"Izuku's asleep already. He had a big day," she said as she started dishing out dinner, sticky rice, tempura shrimp, and veggies. "The visit to the doctor went quick enough." She set Toshinori's bowl down in front of him, and sat down with her own.

**"That's good to hear. What did he think of Izuku's quirk?"** Toshinori asked, slightly nervous that he had been wrong about One for All's transference ability. It was only supposed to transfer with intent, but what if it _did_ transfer through insemination? He gave a mental shudder at the thought. His son, four years old, with the ability to punch through entire buildings and change the weather. And he didn't even want to _think_ of what it would do to his small, untrained body.

He glanced up at Inko and they gave thanks for the meal, and tucked into the delicious sticky rice. He sighed with happiness as the warm meal helped him relax even further.

"Well, he did say it was odd. Let me check the notes." She reached for a folder on the counter, and pulled out Izuku's file. "Hm...The doctor seemed to think it was an odd combination of our quirks. Of course, when he asked, I just said you had increased strength. And yes, I left your info off the sheet. Just a strength quirk," she said as she caught his pointed look, smiling as he looked bashful. Not once in the seven years that they had been together had she ever slipped up, and he doubted she would stop anytime soon.

"He said that it did have parts of my quirk, the ability to pull things, but he also saw some markers for an ability to store power, similar to an electricity quirk." She said, reading the notes again. She looked up at Toshinori, a curious look on her face. "Do you think it has anything to do with One for All?"

He caught her gaze and thought back, going over everything he knew. Of course he had told her everything. Being married meant sharing _all_ of their secrets. The existence of One for All and its true nature just happened to be their biggest. A centuries old crime overlord bent on ruling the world was hunting for Toshinori and his power, passed down across generations of heroes from the crime lord's brother. The ability to stockpile power and the ability to transfer the quirk to another melded together to form the world's most powerful quirk. But could it have passed to his son?

**"I suppose it's possible. You said he found markers?"** Toshinori asked, glancing at the folder.

Inko nodded, and rifled through the pages, stopping at one that listed Izuku's genetic markers, a DNA test results page performed to record and mark quirks. She pulled it out and showed it to Toshinori. "From what he explained, the DNA test showed that eleven of the forty-two markers of my quirk are shared by Izuku. It also shows that the remaining thirty-one markers are from your quirk." She pointed to each of the highlighted markers on the page, her markers in pink, his in blue.

"He also said that the balance of markers means that his quirk will behave differently than we expected. So for now, the doctor labelled Izuku's quirk as 'Energy Absorption'," she said, flipping out a page that listed Izuku's quirk registration, with a short list of abilities noted by the doctor. She continued, "Oh, but you should have seen the look on Izuku's face when the doctor told him the name. Priceless." She laughed softly, "And of course, he's already thinking of hero names, and costumes ideas."

They shared a laugh as Toshinori scanned the list quickly, making note of the rapid regeneration and increased cellular density. His son already had an impressive powerset, one that would make him a great hero one day. He set the page down, and took another large bite of rice and shrimp, thinking over everything.

On the one hand, it seemed One for All didn't fully transfer. He still felt the power flowing through him. But on the other hand, it looked like Izuku got some quirk from him, even though he was definitely quirkless before getting One for All from his master. Perhaps One for All did give some gifts differently. He glanced back up at Inko who was watching him carefully.

**"Well, it seems like our boy has quite a powerful quirk. I suppose that's fitting,"** he chuckled softly.

Inko gave him a pointed look, "You know he is going to need help training it. More than anything, he and his friends want to be heroes just like you."

Toshinori stared for a second, and then looked in the direction of Izuku's bedroom before nodding slightly.

**"You're right. And I know just the man for the job,"** he said with a smile on his face.

* * *

_"No."_

**"Thank y-, wait. What? No? Sensei, why not?"** Toshinori stuttered into the phone, his look of surprise making Izuku and Inko double over with laughter as they tried to contain themselves.

_"Because I'm too old to babysit a bunch of toddlers and I'm retired. Do I need to list any other reasons?"_ The gruff voice of Gran Torino on the other end of the line had a tone of finality in it that Toshinori didn't feel like pushing further.

**"Ah, no. I'm sorry for asking, Sensei."**

"_Don't worry about it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some pastries that are calling my name. Good-bye, Toshinori. Give my best to Inko."_

**"I will. Good-bye, Sensei,"** Toshinori said before hanging up dejectedly. After months of convincing the other parents in their circle to join in, and to work up the courage to ask his old teacher for such a difficult task, he felt deflated, the wind had been let out of his sails. It had been one thing to convince the Bakugos, whose son had them practically forcing him onto Toshinori for training. But it had been an entirely different hurdle for the Urarakas. Ochako's quirk had only just manifested a couple of weeks ago, and they were concerned about the cost, even though Toshinori had made it very clear that he would cover everything.

He sighed heavily and placed his phone back into his pocket, turning to look at his family as they ate lunch together. He smiled as he saw the pure beams of sunshine coming from his wife and son, their smiles driving the negative thoughts away.

"So, Gran said no. We expected that." Inko said as Toshinori sat down. "He was never going to agree to it."

Toshinori nodded, **"It was always a long shot. But that just means that we go to Plan B."**

Inko raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you and Enji can handle it? It's not going to interfere with your work?"

Toshinori shook his head as he sipped his tea, carefully setting the cup down. **"We'll build a plan for each of them and work on it through the mornings and evenings. It'll be fine."**

He looked down at Izuku who was writing in one of his notebooks, the young quirk savant already making notes on each of his friends' quirks and ways they can use them. When Ochako's quirk had awakened, Izuku and Shoko had the misfortune of holding her hands as they were walking home. Izuku had come back excitedly babbling about Ochako's quirk and how they had floated weightless until Ochako got sick and her quirk failed.

**"Izuku, my boy,"** Toshinori said, prompting Izuku to look up at him curiously, his pencil stopping for a brief moment.

**"Starting tomorrow, you and your friends will begin training. After all, we can't have the heroes of tomorrow not be prepared, can we?"** he said, flashing his massive smile.

Izuku's face broke into a huge smile, "That's gonna be so cool! I can't wait, Dad! What are we gonna do?!"

**"We're going to work and train your body and quirk to their limits."** His smile took on an almost maniacal look, making Izuku's smile falter a little.

* * *

"Again." The gruff and demanding voice of Enji Todoroki called out as he observed the sparring match in front of him, Izuku and Katsuki facing off in the ring, marks of explosions littering the room. They had been training in earnest, all of them, for the last six years. Every day workouts, sparring, learning martial arts and fighting styles, and the beginnings of some of their own styles based on their quirks. All of the work was paying off, though most of that effort was shown in the well used dojo in the middle of the Todoroki house.

Katsuki nodded and dropped his hands, panting heavily, and turned from his friend to walk to the starting position. Izuku followed suit, but was hardly out of breath. "You know, Kacchan, you are getting faster." He reached the position and formed his stance opposite Katsuki.

"Hmph…" Katsuki harrumphed, a confident smile on his face, "Don't sugarcoat a turd, Izuku. You're the one who's made the most progress."

Izuku couldn't argue with him on that point. At the age of ten, Izuku already stood a full eight inches over the rest of them, with the lean musculature of a high school athlete. He was outpacing Katsuki even on his best days, not only in speed, but in raw strength. Toshinori and Enji had to buy additional weights for the young boy, just so he could keep up with his growth.

Izuku smirked, still focused on his opponent, and shifted in his stance slightly, adjusting for Katsuki's telegraphed right hook.

"Sensei, they've been at it for three hours. We do have school today." Ochako, her shoulder length brown hair bouncing a little as she spun to look at Enji, interjected from the sidelines, her eyes on Izuku, the small bead of sweat on his brow not unnoticed by her. She had noticed the changes in him as well, and was fighting alongside the others to follow suit. Lean and fit, with practiced form in her stances and walking, she was training herself to be an expert close quarters fighter.

Enji gave her a sideways glance, looking down at his young student. "If they can't fight for more than three hours, then they need to work harder. Just because All Might isn't here to help, doesn't mean that any of you can slack off." He glanced at the clock, however. Cursing under his breath, he realized she was right, with his students only having two hours until school started.

"...But you're right. Fine. Midoriya, Bakugo, that's enough for today. Go get showered. Uraraka, grab the twins and have them get ready too," Enji ordered, turning towards his office as the phone rang. Ochako bowed respectfully, and bounced lightly over to the other side of the dojo where the workout equipment and the twins were, Shoto working on weight training, Shoko focusing on her breathing and cardio. She called for them to stop and get ready, and bounced away, the twins following her to the bathrooms and showers.

Enji watched them go as he picked up the phone, "Todoroki speaking."

_**"Enji, my friend. I found him. I need your help."**_ Toshinori's tone carried the importance of the matter over the phone.

"Shit."

Enji looked up towards the bathrooms, verifying his pupils were not present. He turned back to his desk, and pulled out a notepad.

"Give me the details."

* * *

The mood in the car was subdued, fear and worry permeating the atmosphere as Mirai expertly drove Inko and Izuku through the city, going just over the speed limit, his expert timing and ability allowing them to weave between traffic with ease. Despite the rain and the darkness of the night, he was transporting them with skilled ease.

Inko glanced back at Izuku, the tears rolling down his face as he stared at his notebook, Studies of Heroes, Volume #1. His first, containing his evaluations of Inko, Katsuki, Ochako, Shoko and Shoto's quirks, as well as his father's. He was looking over his sketch of his father, the man he idolized above all others.

"Ten minutes from the hospital, Inko." Mirai said, glancing back in the rear view mirror to look at Izuku. Inko turned to look at Mirai and nodded, holding back her tears as best as she could. The call from Enji only an hour ago had shocked both of the Midoriyas, but Inko needed to be strong, as her husband was. There would be time for tears later.

The rest of the ride went by without incident, and they piled out of the car quickly, walking into the hospital with a rapid pace. Nighteye took the lead, using his intimidating glare to stare down anyone who might stop them, quickly escorting the small family through security doors and into a hidden wing of the hospital, one reserved for heroes and government officials.

Izuku and Inko kept pace with the taller man, keeping on his heels as they wove through the hospital, until they came to a stop outside a door that said 'Observation'. Nighteye turned back to them, and regarded them carefully. "He's not in good shape, to say the very least. I do have to warn you. It's gruesome. Are you sure about this?"

Inko steeled her resolve and nodded, giving him a fierce look that he knew was bravado and nerves. He nodded and reached out to open the door, and allowed the family to go ahead of him, Inko taking a deep breath before walking in slowly, Izuku right behind her, his fear etched on his face.

As they walked up to the glass in the elevated observation booth, both of them let out strangled sobs, Inko's tears finally breaking the damn. She wailed, touching the glass and sinking to her knees, the sight of her husband overwhelming her. A massive hole on his left side, right through his abdomen, his hero uniform shredded and burned. He laid on the table in the operating room as surgeons worked on him, his chest rising and falling sporadically, spurts of blood gushing through the foot wide hole in his belly as they rushed to repair the damage.

Izuku's eyes were wide with shock and terror. His father, his idol, the strongest man on earth, and the Symbol of Peace for all of Japan, laid out like a tragic accident victim. What could have possibly done that to him? He collapsed into one of the chairs, unable to pull his eyes away from the terrible sight in front of him, his whole body shaking with shock and fear.

Mirai watched the family as they sobbed, and then helped Inko a chair, giving her a hug as he sat her down. "I wish there was more I could do. But he insisted," Mirai said softly as their tears started to slow. He pulled out a handkerchief and passed it to Inko, who smiled softly as she dried her eyes.

"I knew something was going on when he left suddenly, but he promised he would be careful," Inko said, sadness filling her voice, more tears threatening to break through. She held the handkerchief tightly, staring at her husband's pale face, the smile missing as he was unconscious on the table.

Izuku sat silently, etching his father's form into his memory, making himself a promise.

_'I will be stronger. I will be faster. I will be the best. I will be the hero that makes everyone feel safe. I will make sure no one else feels this ever again.'_

* * *

Several days later and after many sleepless nights, the Midoriyas finally went home after Toshinori had stabilized. He was resting in his hospital bed, reading the newspapers from the last couple of days, most of the headlines saying something about All Might taking a small break and that other heroes like Endeavor and Blizzard were increasing their patrols. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, laying back down and wincing at the pain in his side.

"Easy, Toshinori," Mirai said, walking into the room, carrying a tray of food and water. He placed it down beside Toshinori and gave his friend a hand with adjusting the pillows as he settled down.

**"Thank you, old friend,"** Toshinori said weakly, his breathing shallow and labored. He was really missing that second lung right now. He glanced at the tray of food, and rubbed his belly gently. Even without his stomach, he still felt hunger. He turned away from the food wistfully, and looked to Mirai.

**"Do you know if Torino is coming?"** he asked.

Mirai glanced at his watch and nodded, "Any minute now, I suspect."

Sure enough, not ten seconds later, the short and wizened form of Toshinori's old teacher walked through the door. He took one look at Toshinori, gave a harrumph, and walked up to the side of the bed.

"So, Toshinori. Bite off more than you chew?" Sorahiko Torino, a hero known as Gran Torino though now retired, asked, a small smile on his face. "I seem to remember telling you not to go rushing in."

Toshinori smiled weakly, and nodded, **"I'm sorry, Sensei, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. He's been beaten. At great cost, yes. But at least he is dealt with."**

Gran Torino harrumphed again, "Yes, well… we'll see about that. You said on the phone that you had something important to talk about in person. What is it?"

Toshinori looked at both of the men in front of him, his mentor, and his closest friend, appraising them. He tried to take a deep breath, but the soreness of his muscles prevented him from completely filling his one good lung. He exhaled, letting the pain wash away.

**"What do you think about me giving One for All to Izuku?"** he said, carefully keeping his voice steady.

The two men stared at him for a second, before Mirai spoke up, "What is your reasoning?"

Toshinori continued, **"I think that, with the training we are putting him through and his unique quirk, he would be an excellent bearer of my power. If the need should arise for him to take on someone as dangerous as All for One was, then I see him doing wonderfully."**

Mirai and Sorahiko had thoughtful expressions on their face, and it was Sorahiko that spoke up next, "I agree the boy has potential. From your news about him, and what I have seen, he would make a decent carrier. But he's not ready. Not yet. Not by a long shot." Toshinori and Mirai nodded in agreement, giving each other a glance.

**"Then we are agreed? When Izuku is ready, he will gain my power, and add it to his own,"** Toshinori stated, the other two men nodded.

"Just be sure to train him properly. We don't know what will happen when his power and yours are combined." Mirai stated, staring at Toshinori with his intimidating glare, "He needs to be as prepared as possible."

Toshinori smiled weakly, **"He will be. I know my son. He will rise to the challenge and meet it head on."**

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry for the confusion. I have grown a lot as a writer over the last couple of months and want to improve my story. So here is the rewrite. Please let me know what you think in the comments! If you want to read the old version, I have a link to a pdf on the Archive of Our Own page for Capacitance, as FanFiction doesn't like links. Or you can message me and I can send you a link!


	2. Chapter 2: Collision

"_Message delivered, sir. Our agent will follow the lead and report back,"_ the cool female voice on the phone finished followed by a click as the line went dead.

All for One smiled as he placed the receiver down on the table, his mood high, despite the recent setbacks.

"I do so love it when a plan comes together," he said in a low voice, lightly rubbing his chin, the scarred skin rough and unpleasant to his sensitive fingers. "Wouldn't you agree, Doctor?" he asked over his shoulder.

The doctor looked up from his datapad and over to the man in his high-back leather chair, the countless hoses and tubes connected to his body giving him a ghastly look. It was all the doctor could do to keep All for One alive at this stage in the recovery. His fight with All Might five years prior had left him massively disfigured, his eyes missing, the skin growing over his face in massive scarred patches, among the many internal injuries that required dozens of surgeries.

The doctor turned away from the dozen fluid-filled glass tanks in the back of the room and strode over to All for One's large leather-covered, wood-backed chair, following what would be the man's line of sight to a massive wall, a map of Japan stretching from floor to ceiling, with red pegs placed in seemingly random areas all across the map.

He regarded the map for a second, before looking down at the man funding his work, and adjusted one of the dials on the life-sustaining equipment, smiling wide as the machine did its job.

"I would indeed. When the cogs and wheels spin together perfectly, there's hardly anything better," the doctor said before turning back to the tanks, glancing at each of the bodies floating in the fluid.

"Let's just hope the first prototype holds up well enough. I'm eager to get moving on Phase Two," he said, looking at the first tank, drained and empty, it's automated cleaning system scrubbing out remnants of slimy green residue.

All for One's smile widened, and he focused his Infrared Sight on one of the pegs located in Musutafu. "Patience, Doctor. Good things to those who wait," he said with a smile.

* * *

"Again, Uraraka," Enji Todoroki directed, motioning with his fists in a swift punch. "You need to focus on pushing more power into the follow-through. Hit with decisive action, like you mean it."

He watched on as Ochako and Shoko reset their positions, Shoko pulling her padded hands up, ready for Ochako to strike. Their near-constant training over the last ten years had made them lean and strong, easily surpassing their peers in athleticism alone. Both girls watched each other carefully; the many years of working together had trained their eyes and minds to see the smallest of details.

Ochako breathed deeply, centering herself, before kicking up with her right leg, slamming into Shoko's glove with a high kick that sounded out with a heavy hit. She dropped her leg and kicked up again, and again, and again, putting more power into the hits with each successive kick, each one making Shoko move back and readjust for the next.

"Good, that last one was much better. Now, keep doing _that_ and push beyond it," Enji said, before looking at his daughter. "Shoko, do you see what Uraraka is doing when she kicks her leg up? The pivot on her heel?"

Shoko dropped her glove and nodded, "Yes, Sensei. Her foot doesn't spin first."

Enji nodded, a small smile on his face, "Good. You were paying attention. Be sure to replicate that when you switch."

Shoko nodded and pulled up her padded gloves again as Ochako got back into position. A heavy grunt from the other side of the dojo made her glance over to the left. A glimpse of Izuku lifting a fifty-gallon drum up and over his head had her face flushing slightly before she threw up her gloves to catch Ochako's incoming foot.

"Focus, Shoko! Pay attention!" Enji called out, his smile gone.

"Sorry, Sensei," she muttered, jerking her attention back to her friend, who had a small smile on her face. Ochako gave Shoko a wink and kicked up again. Shoko sighed internally, mad at herself for getting distracted, turning her focus back to the training at hand and catching Ochako's foot.

Meanwhile, Katsuki was spotting Izuku as he hefted the fifty-gallon drum up over his head again, watching as his friend lifted the drum as if it was nothing, Shoto watching from the side as he worked on bicep curls.

"You know, I think we need to add more weight. That's too easy for you already," Katsuki said, chuckling lightly as Izuku gently set the drum down again. Izuku studied the drum and nodded.

"Yeah, the lead is getting too easy," Izuku said as he leaned over to roll the drum back into its resting place, a large '2300 kg' written in red down the cylinder.

"Yo, Uncle Toshi, what else do we have?" Katsuki shot over his shoulder at the man watching them.

Toshinori stepped forward, his frail and thin frame a shadow of his former size, looking thoughtful as he looked at the drum. "I might be able to find something for you, Izuku. Let me call up a contact of mine. For now, weight training is pointless, so focus on your forms and stances."

Izuku and Katsuki both nodded and bowed slightly.

"Yes, Sensei."

"Yes, Sensei."

They walked over to the other sparring mat, Katsuki rolling his shoulders and flexing before jumping into the ring. Izuku was about to step in when a high yell caught his attention. He looked over at the girls as they sparred, and watched as Ochako lashed out with a powerful kick and sent Shoko flying into the padded wall of the ring, a determined smile on her face that morphed into concern as she bounced forward to help Shoko up, both girls laughing.

"Oy, Izuku, you trying to catch flies? Stop staring," Katsuki said to Izuku's right, prompting Izuku to snap his mouth shut, a sheepish grin sliding onto his face.

"Sorry, Kacchan," Izuku said as he stepped into the ring.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, just don't hold back. No distractions!" he said as he launched into a series of furious blows directed at Izuku's chest and face.

Izuku's smile changed to a confident smirk as he slapped or deflected each blow until motion caught his eye again. Ochako had bent over, her tight shorts pulling up showing off her long, meaty thighs right up to the underside of her butt. His brain shorted for a second and he didn't move, his focus dragged away by Ochako. Even when Katsuki noticed his friend's focus was pulled away and he telegraphed an obvious move, Izuku took the hit, only snapping out of his staring when he felt Katsuki's hand impact his cheek and a crack echoed out.

"Goddamnit, Izuku!" Katsuki said, holding his hand, the impact spot already growing red. Izuku looked down at his friend's hand, nonplussed and confused for a split second. Then Izuku saw the injury.

"Oh. Oh! Shit, sorry, Kacchan!" Izuku said, worry taking over. He turned and saw Toshinori holding an ice pack, an exasperated look on his face. He ran over and grabbed the pack, a regretful look on his face as he saw Toshinori shaking his head, chuckling softly.

"Don't let her distract you, son. She will be there after training," Toshinori said quietly to Izuku, who nodded and hustled over to his friend, helping nurse his fractured hand.

Toshinori watched Izuku perform his first aid and then turned to look at Ochako and Shoko as they continued their training, both girls occasionally glancing at Izuku as they moved.

'_Poor boy has no idea what's in store for him. Gonna have to talk to Enji and Omoitsu before too long,'_ Toshinori thought to himself, a small shiver going down his spine. '_Inko's gonna be over the moon…' _he thought with a smile.

* * *

"Hey Momo, wait up!" Eiko Kirishima called out, her shoulder-length black hair whipping in the morning air as she ran to catch up with her friend. A couple of meters ahead of her, Momo Yaoyorozu stopped and looked back, smiling brightly as her long-time childhood friend ran to catch up.

"You were almost late, Eiko. We don't want to miss the train," Momo said, letting a small smirk cross her face as Eiko approached.

Eiko put on a pout and huffed, "Yeah, well, I wanted to make sure I had everything. I need to make sure I get the lines for the play down right." She gave a sideways glance to Momo, "Not having all of my lines copied and memorized isn't manly," she threw up a hand as Momo was about to interject, "and I know you'd help me, but I need to be responsible."

Momo regarded her friend with appraising eyes, "It's good that you are taking it seriously, even with your previous misgivings."

Eiko blushed and looked away from Momo bashfully, "Well, I still don't think it's fair that they picked me for Romeo just because I'm tall. You're taller than me!" she said, turning to look up at the dark-haired beauty walking beside her.

Momo glanced down at her for a second, before focusing on the way to the station, a light blush dusting her cheeks, "Yes, well...You do make a good fit. Chivalrous, kind, and energetic. Very admirable traits, especially for one of the lead roles."

Eiko blushed at the praise and huffed again, "I'm glad you think so, but that still doesn't change the fact that if I'm Romeo…" She drifted off, not really wanting to say what she was going to say.

"If you're Romeo, and I'm playing Juliet, then we'll have to kiss. Is that what you are worried about?" Momo said, her blush flushing a couple shades darker, glancing sideways at Eiko's red face. They were close to the station now, and Eiko got closer to Momo as she always did in large crowds, the smaller girl worried about bumping into people with her sharp quirk.

Eiko glanced up at Momo nervously and then focused on her phone as they swiped through the stiles to enter the station. "Well… yes," she muttered, "I'm just worried that I won't be able to do it right. I mean, just that I've never really kissed anyone before and that I really don't have any idea what I'm doing and that there's a chance I might do something wrong, like look at my teeth, they're really sharp, what if I bite you? Not that I want to bite you, I just have no idea what a kiss is even supposed to be, do we just touch lips and then that's that? Is that all there is and now I'm rambling and you're not saying anything you're just standing there smiling. Say something!"

She took a deep breath and flapped her arms to the side, waiting for Momo to say something. "Well?"

Momo burst out in a girlish giggle and reached over to hug her friend, pulling Eiko into her warm arms.

"You worry too much. You'll do fine. You'll see," she said softly, patting Eiko on the back of the head gently, sending shivers down the smaller girl's spine. Momo pulled back as the train entered the station, and turned to watch as the doors opened. As the passengers departed, she leaned over a little.

"But you know, if you're that nervous about it... we can practice," she said softly, her blush in full effect now.

"_P-Practice?"_ she stammered. Eiko blinked, Momo's words not quite registering. Her head whipped up to see Momo's smile.

"Given that we've been friends for so long, who else would we practice with?"

'_ has crashed.'_

Momo laughed at her friend's blank expression, Eiko's blush glowing neon. "Come on, Eiko," she said, pulling her catatonic friend onto the train.

* * *

"_That fight this morning was a great intro for Mt. Lady. She is going to be a really big hit. Heh, 'big' hit. But I really wish I could have seen Kamui's super move up close. I wonder what the upper limit is. He was so close..."_

"_Deku, shush,"_ Ochako whispered back from the seat in front of him.

"Midoriya, if you aren't going to pay attention, at least be quiet. I know you already know this, but please have respect for your fellow students," his homeroom teacher called out. Izuku looked up from his notebook with a sheepish grin, his teacher's eyes staring at him exasperatedly.

"Sorry, Sensei," Izuku said, bowing slightly.

Ochako glanced back at Izuku and smiled, giggling softly before turning back to her notes. Izuku glanced over and saw Shoko and Katsuki smirking at him, and he returned their smiles before turning back to his notebook, going over his notes from the action this morning with Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods.

'_I wonder what Mt. Lady's upper size limit is...Oh! I wonder if she can shrink smaller! That'd be really handy...'_ He continued to ponder, poring over his notes as he thought to himself. His exercises with quirk dynamics were a constant thing for him, fostered from an early age by his father, All Might's many fights being the subject of his attention for years.

His gaze drifted up as he thought aimlessly, coming to rest on Ochako's long brown hair. He stared for a couple of seconds before shifting his gaze out the window, watching the wind whip leaves and petals past. His thoughts drifted to his own hero suit, its basic design forming in his mind.

He knew that his quirk allowed him to absorb energy; with the help of Katsuki, Shoto, and the girls, they had found he could absorb just about anything, from punches, to heat, even sunlight as it struck his skin. But coming up with a design that let him maximize that absorption was proving difficult.

Izuku turned back to his notebook and scribbled a note about Kamui's wood strength before flipping through the older pages, glancing at the data he had been collecting. The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, and he flipped the book closed.

"Alright, class dismissed, be sure to finish your homework and have it ready tomorrow morning," his teacher called out as the rest of the class packed up to leave. Shoto and Katsuki walked over as Izuku packed up his bag, closely followed by Shoko, who stretched languidly.

"You're going to get in trouble if you keep muttering like that, Izuku," Shoto said bluntly, watching Izuku handle his notebook.

Izuku shot him a smirk and shrugged. "You know how I get when I get an idea."

Ochako leaned back and glanced at the book in Izuku's hands as he put it into his bag, and giggled softly as she stood and stretched, "Number fourteen already? Weren't you on thirteen just a couple of days ago?" she said, watching Izuku pack away the book.

"Damn nerd is always watching for any quirks, you know that," Katsuki said, shooting Izuku a taunting look, "He's always gonna be a fanboy." The whole group chuckled as Izuku rubbed the back of his head self-consciously, smiling just the same.

"Yeah, well…" Izuku muttered, standing up to leave. "We all need our hobbies," he said as they started heading home. "I nerd out over quirks, Shoto likes to cook, Ochako likes tea." He glanced at Katsuki, a smirk on his face, "And Kacchan likes to suck at video games."

Katsuki looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel, his angry expression making the rest of them burst out laughing. "That was one time, _Deku_! You got a lucky hit!" he shouted, as they walked down the hall, renewing the group's laughter.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go hang out with those two losers, Long-Fingers and Whats-His-Face. They keep bugging me about doing something," Katsuki said as he relaxed, turning away from the group as they reached an intersection in the hallways, waving as he left.

"I thought Katsuki hated those guys," Shoko said, watching their friend go. "Didn't you guys catch them perving on Ochako?" she asked Izuku, looking up at him.

A dark look crossed Ochako's face and she turned away, blushing heavily. Izuku nodded slowly, a frown on his face. "Yeah, but Katsuki and I, uh...had words with them," he said as he glanced at Ochako who flashed him a weak smile.

"By words, he means punting them in the balls and blasting them into a tree," Ochako said quietly, giggling a little. "It was an awesome sight."

"I wonder why Katsuki's hanging out with them, then," Shoto said, before turning towards the exit. "Come on, Shoko, Dad's waiting."

"Wait, you guys aren't going to walk home with us?" Ochako asked curiously, following closely as the group walked after Shoto.

"Nah, Dad's got some appointment for us. Some test for our quirk or something like that," Shoko said, flicking her long, dual-toned ponytail over her shoulder. "Sorry," she said, giving Ochako an apologetic smile.

Izuku caught up to Shoto and started asking about the test, and Shoko took advantage of the brief privacy. Leaning in close to Ochako, she whispered, "_It's good though. You get him all to yourself for a whole hour. I'm jealous."_

Ochako's blush went radiant, and her eyes wide as she stared up at Izuku as he and Shoto talked. Her head whipped to look at Shoko, who was smirking like a know-it-all. Ochako's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

"_Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong,"_ Shoko whispered, before turning away and bouncing forward to catch up to her brother as they exited the building.

Ochako squeaked softly as Shoko took off. Her blush didn't fade until they got outside and walked the twins to their dad's car. She stood next to Izuku, waving to the twins as they climbed into Enji's car. They waved and bowed to their sensei who gave a short bow back. The car pulled off, leaving Izuku and Ochako by themselves on the sidewalk.

Izuku turned to look at Ochako, a bright smile on his face as he looked at her, "So, you ready?" he asked, using his thumb to point over his shoulder, "We've got the whole walk home to talk!"

Ochako blinked and a wide smile broke on her face, her bright brown eyes sparkling with excitement as she stepped up to follow him, "Yup! Let's go, Deku!" she said, walking past him, tying her long brown hair up in a ponytail.

"So what kind of notes did you get on Mt. Lady this morning? I saw you gawking up at her like the rest of the men around when she pulled her pose," Ochako said slyly, sideways glancing at Izuku as they walked on, leaving the school grounds. Izuku stared at her incredulously for a second, and then caught her smirk, and shook his head.

Izuku chuckled, "'Chako, come on. That's mean." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, "But yeah, she does have the sex appeal going for her." A blush formed on his cheeks, and Ochako felt a pang of jealousy.

"So what about her do you find so interestin'?" she asked, leaning in, giving Izuku a quizzical stare. She was really pushing hard now, searching for a chink in the armor. Izuku's blush deepened, and he started to sputter. "W-Well, I mean, she's got the body and the looks to be really popular as a hero."

Ochako quirked an eyebrow up, "Yeah, but _what _about her body? You seemed awful focused on her butt. Or maybe it was her skin-tight suit?"

Izuku's blush was getting more red with every word and was getting more flustered the closer Ochako got. "I- Uh- Well, I-I guess it's kind of all of it?" he managed to stammer out as they walked under one of the road bridges that was on their way home.

Right as Ochako was about to respond, the hairs on the back of Izuku's neck stood on end, and he felt a surging presence behind them. Almost instinctively, he kicked off with his left foot, and wrapped his arms around Ochako, pulling her to the side, her eyes swinging to his as they moved.

There was a loud clang, and Izuku turned around to see a manhole cover to the sewers falling to the side and a mass of green and brown slime hurtling past them, right to where they had just been. Both Ochako and Izuku's eyes went wide as the sludge retreated back into the massive blob pulling itself out of the sewers.

"Perfect! Two new skinsuits, and one with fast reflexes! You'll be perfect camouflage! I didn't know _he_ was in the city, but my job's almost complete. Really not sorry about this!" The slime's voice sounded wet, angry, and downright terrifying. A large tendril of slime lashed out towards Ochako and Izuku, the slime villain moving quickly to capture his latest prey.

Time slowed for Izuku as he watched the slime get closer, the tendril closing in on them rapidly. Suddenly, he felt a boiling heat rising inside of him and he grabbed onto the energy tight. With a swift shift of his body and stance and ten years of practice woven into his muscles, he turned on the spot to lash out with a punch, hoping to intercept the tendril to prevent it from touching Ochako.

But instead of connecting with the sludge and feeling the gross stickiness of it, Izuku felt the heat inside of him rise up and surge out of his fist. There was a sudden shockwave followed by a blast of air and green light as he unleashed a punch right into the sludge villain, splattering the tendril across the wall of the tunnel. Izuku stared incredulously at the sludge, before glancing down at his fist.

"What the-" the villain called out. Izuku blinked in surprise before another odd pulse got his attention. He quickly grabbed Ochako and lept aside, dodging a second tendril that was racing for them. He made sure to keep himself between Ochako and the sludge, turning their bodies as they jumped.

Ochako's heart was pounding fiercely; the threat of the sludge villain bearing down on them was _way_ different than anything Endeavor or All Might had taught them, and she doubted her martial arts were going to be effective against this sludge villain. Would her quirk even work on him?

She clung to Izuku tightly as they tumbled to the side, and a familiar feeling kicked in, the years of practice and training with Izuku and Shoko made her muscles move on their own. As they rolled in the air, she let go of Izuku and with practiced ease, spinning her body to cushion her landing, landing lithely, almost cat-like, on her feet a couple of feet behind Izuku, who had mimicked her motions. Her gaze shifted to the fallen man-hole cover a couple of feet away, and a smile crossed her face.

He glanced back at Ochako over his shoulder. Her eyes snapped to him, and she nodded confidently. With his fists raised, feet spread in a steady stance, he nodded back and turned to look at the villain again. He was already throwing more slime at them, moving his whole body closer, his wild eyes and massive crazed smile bearing down on them intensely.

In a split second, Izuku shifted his stance and felt the heat again, pulling hard and throwing a heavy left hook at the incoming slime. There was another large shockwave and burst of air and light from his fist, and several tendrils and part of the villain's main body was thrown back, splattering forcefully against the opposite wall.

The slime villain hesitated for a second before smiling widely again, "Such power...You'll be _perfect_. COME HERE, BOY!" he shouted as he launched his whole body towards Izuku, the great mass of slime hauling across the concrete. Izuku glanced back at Ochako as he heard her kick off, launching herself towards the manhole cover. She tucked her arms in tight, jumping over a tendril of slime, and reached out to touch the metal plate. She grabbed the edge firmly with all five fingers as she somersaulted over it, and landed back on her feet, a pink glow covering the large metal disc as she cocked her arm back.

"Go back to the sewer!" she called out, slingshotting the disc right at the villain's face, releasing the gravity as it flew at its target. Ochako kept her focus on the disc, forcing more power into it, increasing its mass, going for a harder hit. Izuku watched the villain carefully, and waited for the right moment when the villain was distracted, taking note of the exhaustion that was building within him.

The villain's gaze turned to Ochako and the approaching manhole cover, and Izuku pushed power into his fist, twisting and shifting on the spot. He launched another shockwave, the blast of air forcing the villain back several feet and hitting the metal plate, sending it right into the sludge, slicing through it, sending large chunks of his sludge splattering against the ground. The villain recovered from the recoil and writhed angrily as he gathered the wayward sludge, bulging out his size as he became whole again. Izuku took a step back as he watched the villain pull himself together.

_'What is it gonna take to stop this guy!?'_ his internal dialogue screamed.

"You little shit! I'm gonna kill you and take your girlfriend instead!" The sludge villain shouted, rearing back more tendrils, preparing to strike. But before he could make another move, the sound of heavy footfalls reverberated against the walls of the tunnel.

"**Sorry I'm late. Everything is fine now. I am here."**

All Might stepped out of the sewer, his trademark smile contorted by anger.

"ALL MIGHT!"

All three shouted in unison as he stepped forward. Izuku and Ochako's faces lit up into excited smiles, while the slime contorted around and tried to start running away. All Might cocked his fist back, and his smile changed from angry to triumphant.

"**TEXAS..." **he called out, throwing his fist forward, a shockwave forming in front of it. "**SMASH!"** he finished, unleashing a massive whirlwind of air pressure, blasting the slime villain entirely across the floor, walls, and ceiling of the bridge. The wind pressure kicked up and blasted right past Izuku and Ochako, ruffling their clothes and hair.

All Might turned to look down at Izuku and Ochako and glanced around, checking for prying eyes. "**Are you two okay?"** he asked quietly, before deflating into his true form, the familiar skeletal frame his injuries left him with. "Sorry for taking so long. The sewer system is a maze," he said, jerking his thumb over at the sewer as he knelt down and poked the sludge on the ground, the semi-liquid form of the villain not moving at all, his eyes wide and unfocused. Toshinori pulled out two soda bottles he had in a bag, glancing up at his son and passing the bottles to his young pupils, who took them gratefully.

Izuku and Ochako both nodded, "We're fine. Spooked, but fine," Izuku said, letting his exhaustion hit him as he sat down on the ground, chugging down the soda quickly and breathing heavily as the adrenaline faded. Ochako sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder after chugging her own soda. Toshinori took the bottles after they had finished and while they came down from the excitement and adrenaline, he handled the villain, scooping him up into the bottles.

Once Toshinori was done collecting the villain, he walked over and squatted in front of them, giving them a once over. "You did very well, Izuku. You defended yourself and Ochako wonderfully." He glanced at Ochako, "Ochako, thank you for backing up Izuku. You two make a good team." She smiled up at him and nodded.

Izuku looked down at his hands, turning them over, studying them closely. "Dad, I think my quirk is different than we thought." He looked up at his father, the man giving him a curious look. "When the villain first attacked us, I threw a punch to try to stop the sludge, but… well, it felt like heat rose out of me and exploded out of my fist, almost like one of your smashes." He glanced at Ochako, who was looking at his fist too.

She noticed his gaze and looked up at him, nodding in agreement. "There was a green burst of light, and then the air just exploded away from his fist," she recalled, looking up at Toshinori.

Toshinori looked pensive, before standing up, "Well, it _almost _sounds like my quirk. I'd say that we need to do more training. We'll explore it. But for now... **I need to be off. Gotta get this guy to the police!" **he said as he inflated into his muscle form again, patting the bottles in his pockets. He turned to leap away, "**You two be safe getting home!" **he said, before jumping into the sky with a rush of wind.

Izuku and Ochako watched him go for a couple of seconds. It wasn't until All Might was out of sight that Ochako realized that she was gripping Izuku's warm hand tightly. Blushing furiously, she slipped her hand out of his and spun around to grab her bag from the ground in a huff.

Izuku looked back down from the sky at Ochako in curiosity as she stood back up, brushing off the dirt on her bag.

"You really okay?" Izuku asked softly, as she walked back over.

She looked up at him and her blush grew, "Well, yeah, I mean, it was scary at first. But then you jumped into action so quickly… I… I dunno…" she said, before going quiet, looking off to the side. "I guess, it made me feel safer knowing that you jumped in, and I wanted to be there to help," she finished quietly.

Izuku smiled gently, "I was scared too, you know. I moved because I needed to. It wasn't a choice. And you did help. Without you backing me up, I don't know how quickly that fight would have been over." Izuku said confidently as Ochako looked up at him in surprise.

"Now, come on, let's get home before Mom and Auntie get upset," Izuku said, chuckling as he turned back onto the path home. Ochako snapped out of her surprise with a smile and jogged the couple of steps to catch up.

"Yeah, okay, but what should we tell them?" Ochako asked when she got to his side, looking up at him curiously.

Izuku chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head, "Yeah, on second thought, best not to say anything at all."

They continued on, tossing ideas back and forth, trying to come up with something to tell their mothers that wouldn't scare them too much.

* * *

Toshinori sighed with relief as he landed on the roof of a five-story building gently, stumbling as he found his footing. He wiped the blood from his cheek, and cleaned his hand in a handkerchief, before sitting down and resting, relaxing his form. Steam billowed off of him as he released the tension in his body.

"_Down to 7 hours already. Only a couple more minutes left for the day," _he muttered to himself as he rested. His gaze turned to the sky, and a smile crept onto his gaunt face.

"Izuku's first true fight. And he held his own," he said softly, his heart bursting with pride. "Can't wait to see what he does next. Sorry, pal, just not your day, huh?" he said, patting the side pocket of his pants where he had put the bottles containing the sludge villain.

Or at least, that's where they were _supposed _to be.

"_Oh fuck."_

* * *

Katsuki grimaced as he walked through a back alley, barely listening to the two other teens behind him.

"_Bunch of fucking losers," _he grumbled under his breath as he finished off his canned soda, glancing back at 'Long-Fingers' as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, eyeing both of the boys with contempt.

Long-Fingers started to pull out a cigarette as he spoke up, "So Bakugo, what do you want to do? We could hit up the arcade, or maybe check out one of the local bars? I bet we can find some nic-"

"You idiots!" Bakugo shouted back at them, "If we get caught," he spun in place and swiped the cigarettes from Long-Finger's hand and launched them at a nearby trash can with a small explosion, "then my chances of getting into UA are shot!" He turned to stare at both of them, "And I'm not letting anyone get in my way!"

Both boys leaned back in fear as Katsuki's anger radiated out from him. He eyed them angrily, before spinning again, kicking a soda bottle down the alley, where it hit a wall and exploded in a shower of green goo.

All three of them stood in surprise and fear as the sludge villain rose up, tendrils waving in the air as his huge eyes focused on the blonde haired boy in front of him.

"Another body with such a powerful quirk!" the villain's voice gurgled out.

* * *

Izuku and Ochako continued on their walk home, chatting animatedly about the day's events, the both of them immersed in their conversation as they turned a corner, walking onto one of the main streets through Musutafu.

But when a young man in professional attire bumped into them as he ran, both were alerted that something wasn't quite right. A large group of people standing around the entrance to an alleyway market ahead drew their attention as the man uttered his apologies and took off again.

"Hey," Ochako said, grabbing onto Izuku's sleeve as a large explosion burst out from a nearby alley. Izuku glanced down at her hand, up to her face, a look of concern painted on her face, and then he turned to the crowd.

"Let's check it out. Could be some good hero action," Izuku said with a smile, walking forward steadily.

They approached the rear of the crowd, Izuku's height giving him plenty of clearance to see Death Arms, Kamui Woods, and Backdraft in the thick of a fight with green sludge as more explosions went off, setting fire to the street.

"Wait… That's the sludge villain! But...," he said in a low voice, his eyes going wide.

"But where's All Might?" Ochako asked, looking around, her eyes full of worry, "He didn't…"

"No. There's no way. He'll show up." Izuku said, shaking his head, watching the fight with concern. If his dad lost the villain, then something must have happened.

* * *

"_Weak."_

"_Pathetic."_

"_Useless."_

Toshinori muttered to himself as he loped down the street, following the sounds of the explosions and calls from the bystanders. He clutched his chest, gripping his shirt as his body fought against his will, the pain inside boiling up within him.

He approached the rear of the crowd, wheezing as his breath grew short, grabbing onto a light post to support himself. As he caught his breath, he looked up and horror struck him as he saw the sludge villain fighting against the three heroes in the alley.

'_Stupid, pathetic. GET UP AND FIGHT!' _he screamed to himself in his mind, willing his body to fight longer, but the steam wouldn't come.

"Useless," he said weakly, hanging his head in shame.

* * *

Izuku watched on as the explosions got bigger and more frequent, until Death Arms called back, "He's got a hostage! Everyone stay back! We need a different hero to help!"

Izuku's gaze turned from the muscular hero back to the villain, the manic grin and wild eyes of the sludge spreading wide as another explosion burst out of the body of goo.

'_Wait a minute. Out of the sludge? Not from…'_

Izuku's eyes went wide with realization. His gaze fell on a familiar mop of blonde hair and a set of red eyes, a terrified look in them. A chill ran down his spine.

"No," Izuku said, his fists clenched by his side.

The next thing he felt was unbridled rage and uncontrollable heat rising within him, and he leapt forward, passing above the crowd with a blast of air behind him. Ochako covered her eyes from the blast and reached out after him, calling out, "Deku, no!" but he was already out of her reach.

As he crossed the distance to the villain, the fire rose to its new master, Izuku's body sucking in the heat and energy as he extended his fist, a ring of green light building around his bicep.

* * *

Toshinori turned in surprise as he watched his son launch himself forward, the fire in the streets leaping towards Izuku, wrapping around his body as it devoured the energy. Surprise turned to awe and horror as Izuku got closer.

"Pathetic, Toshi," he muttered under his breath, as steam began to flow from his body, his frail form filling out slowly. "**Now, save the boys!"**

* * *

"YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!" Izuku shouted as he rapidly approached the villain, his power reaching its limit, a thick green ring around his arm flashing brightly.

He landed a meter from the sludge villain with an almighty crash and thrust his fist forward as the villain turned to look at Izuku.

"You again!?" he called out. "Stop getting in my way!"

Izuku's fist made contact and the bright green ring flashed down to his fist, exploding into the villain's body. A titanic shockwave erupted from Izuku's fist, punching a massive hole right through the villain, freeing Katsuki's arm as the villain fought against the massive amount of wind pressure.

Izuku grabbed his friend's outstretched arm, and yelled, "NOW, KACCHAN!", spinning on his heel. Katsuki's eyes shut as he focused and unleashed his biggest explosion yet, the bright fireball erupting within the green sludge, bulging it out like a balloon. It popped and sent huge chunks of slime and sludge across the alleyway as Izuku finished his spin and shut his eyes, pulling Katsuki with him, shielding him from the incoming deluge.

"YOU FUCKING BRATS ARE GONNA DIE!" the villain screamed as he pulled himself together.

Izuku's eyes snapped open as he felt the energy of the slime behind them coalesce and reform, fear bolting through him as the villain was made whole, unharmed by either of the boys' attacks.

"**NOT ON MY WATCH!"**

There was a heavy thud to Izuku and Katsuki's left, prompting them to glance at the sound, All Might stood between them and the villain, his head down, fists clenched tightly.

"FUCK YOU, ALL MIGHT!" the sludge villain shouted, his sludge rising up, "I'll take you on, right now!"

"**You'll lose. Again,"** All Might said, a wide smile on his face as he pulled back his right fist.

The villain's face changed from angry and determined to terrified in a heartbeat.

"**DETROIT SMASH!"** All Might called out as he swung his fist into a finishing move, swatting the villain across the entire alleyway with a colossal blast of wind that ripped through the alley like a monsoon.

There was a shocked pause as everyone around processed what just happened. The sky grew dark, and a light pattering of rain began to fall.

* * *

"Eiko, just breathe," Momo said calmly, giving her long time friend a friendly smile, trying her hardest to help Eiko relax. If she was this nervous with just the idea of practicing then it was for the best that they did practice. Her bedroom was a safe space for them, Momo's parents were gone on a business trip, and the family waitstaff was tending to dinner a floor or two below.

"We're alone here, no one is watching us, no one is going to judge us and you're not going to bite my face off," Momo stated, brushing her hair out with a large silver brush, before placing it on her bedside table.

"Ehh! But it's a kiss! It's my first kiss! It's _your _first ki- I _think _it's your first kiss? Is it your first kiss? Did you have a boyfriend without me knowing?" Eiko's cheeks were a vibrant shade of red, matching her bright eyes.

"For a tomboy, you sure are fickle about kisses." Momo laughed and scooted closer to Eiko on the bed, her soft, pillowy mattress making even the slightest movement that much more noticeable. "But, no, I've never had a boyfriend."

"Then aren't you worried about your first kiss? Like, that's important or something right?"

Momo just rolled her eyes and reached out to touch Eiko's cheek. It was rough, much like Eiko herself, but also warm. "This won't be my first kiss though. And it won't be yours."

"Ehhhh?" Eiko's eyes went wide and she leaned back so far she nearly fell off the bed, recoiling from the shock of Momo's touch. Panicked, she tucked and rolled off the bed, looking up at Momo from the floor with wide red eyes. "I kissed someone before? Who? When? Why?"

"I want you to think about that question." Momo flopped down onto the bed in front of Eiko and poked her on the forehead. She smiled at her friend and then let out a long sigh as Eiko's face only grew more perplexed. Momo expected as much; she was stretching the truth after all, but only so that Eiko would feel better. "Us."

"Us?" Eiko asked, blinking rapidly.

It was so much fun watching her normally well put together friend freak out over something so small. It was just a kiss. "Yes. Us. We've kissed before. A few times in fact."

Eiko's brow furrowed, her fingers gripping the edge of Momo's sheets while she looked lost in thought. "We did?"

"Yes, it was back when we played princess and knight all the time. I'm surprised you don't remember." Momo smiled. It wasn't lying per se, so much as it was _motivational storytelling_. "I remember you rescuing me and then giving me a big kiss on the lips saying that it was your 'knightly' reward."

Eiko blinked, then her face lit up. "Really?"

"Yes, really. So you see, it's no big deal if we kiss." Momo moved her hand down to Eiko's chin and lifted the girl's head up. She scooted closer towards the edge of the bed, nearly falling off, to bring her head level with Eiko's. "Now, we're just practicing okay, so there's no need to worry, right?"

"Right!" Eiko returned, her head tilting to the side as she let Momo pull her in. "We've done this before. There's nothing to worry about."

Nothing at all.

Their lips met.

A jolt shot through Momo that forced her eyes to open wide. All at once, Eiko went from her best friend in the whole wide world to the most beautiful woman in the whole wide world. She was stunning, beautiful, kind, loving, amazing, and just so many wonderful things all rolled into the woman she called her best friend. Her best friend that she was now kissing.

Her best friend that she now very much _enjoyed _kissing.

How long had she been this way? Why? She thought she liked guys. She had never been attracted to a woman before. But she had never kissed one before either.

They parted. Far too soon for Momo's liking. Far, _far _too soon. She wanted nothing more than to go back in and keep kissing her friend. Her very _straight _friend.

"See?" Momo asked, trying to keep it together in front of Eiko. The girl didn't need to worry more. "Nothing to it."

"Yeah," Eiko muttered, her cheeks a light pink. "Nothing to it."

Silence lingered between them, Momo's fingers still holding onto Eiko's chin.

"So, I think we should do it like in the play a few times. Just to make sure we're comfortable with it, right?" Eiko asked, standing up.

More kissing? "Oh, umm, well sure. If you think you need more practice."

It took everything Momo had to contain herself.

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ochako asked Izuku for the fourth time as they finished walking home, brushing off some dirt from the shoulder of Izuku's jacket. She had watched as he freed Katsuki, leaping into the fight without a second thought. She had watched as the Heroes berated him for jumping recklessly into the fight, though she was happy that All Might stopped them.

"_He is a bigger hero than most of us today, jumping into the fight to save his friend," _All Might had said, before escorting Izuku to the paramedics and talking to the press. Izuku was released shortly after, and silently met up with Ochako.

He nodded for the fourth time, giving her no other answer, a simple smile on his face as they walked home.

"Okay, it's just you've been quiet this whole time," Ochako said, poking Izuku on the arm.

He blinked and looked over at her, his smile never fading, "Sorry, 'Chako. Just lots on my mind. Dad said that he would catch up with us. He has something to tell me."

Ochako looked surprised, "Why couldn't he just say it when you get home? We're almost there," she said, looking up towards their apartment complex rising above the rest of the buildings around them.

Izuku shrugged, giving her an unknowing smirk. "All I know is that it's important. I just hope I'm not in too much trouble," he said, rubbing the back of his head, his fluffy green hair dancing in the wind. He stiffened as he felt his father's familiar energy approaching from behind them.

"Here he comes," Izuku said, stopping and looking back. "Let's hope it's nothing too bad."

Ochako looked up at Izuku and back, and saw the tall figure of All Might rushing towards them down the street. He came to a stop right in front of them, panting slightly, before a cough rose up within him, bringing blood with it. He exploded in a burst of steam, coughing as he sank to his knees. Izuku rushed forward to catch him, but Toshinori held up his hand, stopping him.

"I'm fine, just exhausted. I really pushed it today," Toshinori said, clambering to his feet. He glanced between Ochako and Izuku, smiling softly.

"You two did wonderfully today. I'm proud of you both." Both of the teens beamed at Toshinori as he turned to Izuku. "But, _you _were reckless. I can appreciate what you did, but you need to understand that you can't just run into a fight like that."

Izuku hung his head and nodded solemnly. Ochako's smile faded, and she opened her mouth to speak, but a hand motion from Toshinori stopped her.

"But what I'm curious about, is _why _you jumped in. What were you thinking?" Toshinori finished, eyeing Izuku curiously.

Izuku looked at his father and thought about the question.

"I...I guess I wasn't. I just moved. I needed to save Kacchan," Izuku said firmly.

Toshinori smiled broadly. "I thought it might be something like that. That settles it then."

"Settles what, sir?" Ochako asked, her head cocked to the side.

"There is something Izuku and I need to talk about, Young Ochako," Toshinori said, patting her on the shoulder with his large hand. "Go ahead and go home, and I'm sure Izuku will fill you in later."

She blinked and nodded, bowing to her sensei, and turned to leave, giving Izuku a warm smile, before walking towards their apartment complex. Izuku watched her turn the corner, and felt out with his quirk, watching her energy fade as she passed beyond his range.

"Walk with me, son," Toshinori said, turning away from the apartments, gesturing for Izuku to follow. "We have a great many things to discuss."

Izuku nodded and caught up to his father, both men taking long steps, their height allowing them to travel quickly.

"Before I start, I want you to know. No matter what, everything that is said between us is right now a secret." Toshinori said, head high as they walked along the empty street. Izuku didn't respond, just nodding as he walked with his father.

"I also need you to know that I love you more than anything, and I would do anything in my power to keep you and your mother safe," Toshinori said, looking at his son, his sincerity coming through his piercing gaze.

Izuku smiled softly and nodded. "Love you too, Dad."

Toshinori smiled and turned back to focus on the road they were walking. "What I'm about to tell you will change the way you view hero society and quirks."

Izuku's eyes went wide, but he said nothing else, his excitement and curiosity focusing his attention fully.

"I wasn't born with my power. I was quirkless, a statistical anomaly," Toshinori said, glancing at Izuku's shocked expression. He chuckled lightly. "My power was passed down to me from another. It is a sacred torch, handed down from Hero to Hero." He held out a hand in front of him, both men glancing at it as small sparks of golden light and steam emanated from his palm.

"My quirk is called One For All," Toshinori continued, before looking up at the beach they had been walking towards. They approached the hand rails and Toshinori leaned against the railing, resting his frame, sighing as he sagged against the cool metal. He looked across the pungent and disgusting trash heap, and an idea came to his mind. He smiled and filed it away for later.

He looked up at Izuku, a surprised and thoughtful look on his face. Izuku pondered the information for a second longer. "_So, when you said your power is stockpiling power? But then, how did my quirk become this? I can absorb energy and redirect it, but nothing like that… and I've never heard of a quirk that can be passed down, how does that even work?"_

"Izuku, stop," Toshinori said softly, placing a hand on his son's shoulder, breaking him out of the mutter storm.

"You will have to accept this. But the important thing you need to know is that I'm now passing this torch to you," Toshinori said, pointing to Izuku's chest. "You proved yourself a true hero by throwing all thoughts of your own safety to the side to save another. A true Hero has an unbendable, unbreakable will to save those that need it most, the strength to carry the burdens of those who cannot bear them themselves, and above all, a heart stronger than the toughest of metals, an unwavering conviction to do the right thing."

Toshinori lowered his arms and regarded his son, who was staring at him with rapt attention. "Now, Izuku Midoriya, I offer to you my power. One for All, a crystallization of power, passed down from generation to generation. In this case, quite literally." Toshinori said with a chuckle.

Izuku's face broke out into a wide smile. "I accept," he said shortly, bowing slightly to his master and father.

"No hesitation. Good." Toshinori smirked. "Now, you are almost ready to get my power. We just need to do a quick test of that new ability of yours, and then we'll decide what to do."

Izuku nodded, getting excited to explore his power more. Toshinori gestured for him to follow, and walked down the stairs to the sand, Izuku right behind him after setting his backpack on the ground.

"It's such a shame. This beach used to be beautiful. I used to bring your mother here. But it's fallen into such a dump," Toshinori said as he kicked a can aside. "Part of your training for my power will be cleaning this beach," he said to Izuku, who was looking around at all of the junk with surprise.

"What kind of training?" Izuku asked, his head snapping to his father.

"Discipline and control," Toshinori said, smiling broadly. "My power will enhance your own, so you will need to learn to control everything properly. I have a feeling that with your quirk already being part One For All, when the rest is added, it will supercharge your abilities beyond anything we can imagine. And with that, you will need to learn to totally command your power."

Toshinori turned to a pile and picked out a dented and broken toaster, and handed it to Izuku. "We've known that you can take in energy. We now know that you can also release it. I want you to focus on pushing energy into this, but in a controlled manner so it doesn't explode," Toshinori directed, stepping back as Izuku grasped the toaster with both hands.

Izuku studied it for a second, before focusing on the heat he felt inside of him. He tugged on the heat gently, and it listened, flowing up into his arms, into his hands, small rings of light pulsing down his arms as the toaster started to warm up. The plastic melted, dripping off of the toaster as the heat rose. Smoke started to rise next, the electronics inside the device melting and oxidizing. Finally, the chrome exterior started to glow, the heat pulsing into it, overwhelming the thermal capacity of the device, chrome steel glowing red, then orange. Past yellow, to white hot, and finally dripping out of Izuku's hands onto the sand, sizzling in the moist grit.

Toshinori watched in awe as Izuku slagged the toaster in front of him. "Very good, son. Energy control, check." He turned and looked around and spotted a large fridge. He smirked and pointed, "Pick up the fridge and let's move it to the waterfront," he ordered.

Izuku nodded, and jogged over to the rusted fridge, picking it up easily.

Toshinori smiled, "I figured that fridge would be easy for you, considering your current weight limit."

Izuku grinned over his shoulder at Toshinori and lifted the fridge onto his shoulder with one arm. "This is nothing compared to the lead drum."

Toshinori chuckled, "Set it down near the water, and we'll do one more test."

They navigated the maze of trash until they reached the water, where Izuku set the fridge on the sand with a heavy thud, the heavy appliance sinking in the damp beach slightly.

"Now, I want you to recreate that punch you threw at the sludge villain. I saw it for myself, and I think you and Ochako are right. It's very similar to my own punches, but yours is definitely different," Toshinori said, pointing at Izuku's fists. Izuku brought them up and examined them closely. "Your arm channeled power into your fist, which then exploded out. So," he turned to look at the fridge, "Do it again, Izuku." Toshinori finished in his teaching voice, pointing at the fridge.

"Yes Sensei," Izuku said, bowing slightly before moving into position, squaring up to the fridge.

"Remember to focus on the feeling of your power, and your emotions when you acted. Your emotions guide you and your power. Mastering your emotions will lead to greater control of your power," Toshinori said as he stepped back again, pulling out his phone to record what was about to happen.

Izuku nodded, and closed his eyes, focusing deep. He searched for the heat inside of him and poked it gently. It responded in kind, rising up rapidly. With his power at hand, he focused on his emotions.

'_When I fired the punch, what did I feel?' _He thought to himself.

The answer came to him easier than he thought.

'_Courage… Anger… Fear.'_

He opened his eyes at the last one and took another breath, shaking the idea from his head, before closing his eyes again.

'_What did I feel? I was scared. Of losing Kacchan. Of failing.'_

"Of not being able to save someone?" Toshinori said softly, beside him.

Izuku looked up at his father and nodded slowly.

"You know, son, when I took this hit," Toshinori said, gently rubbing his injury, "I was worried for a while. What if I was unable to save you or your mother if something were to happen? What if I couldn't save anyone else? What then?"

Toshinori sighed and smiled, "But then I saw something later that banished my doubt. Do you know what it was?"

Izuku shook his head, his eyes never wavering from his father. He had never heard his father talk about this. It was never brought up at home.

Toshinori looked Izuku straight in the eyes, smiling as he saw the fire behind the sparkling green irises, so much like his beloved Inko's. His son's strength shined through them fiercely.

"When I woke up and you and your mother were visiting, you had this fear about you, like you were scared to lose me. But then I told you that I would always back you up, and that you being strong for your mom is what I needed to get stronger. Do you remember that?" Toshinori said, grasping his son's shoulder tightly.

Izuku nodded, a couple of tears sliding down his face as the memory hit him hard.

"That fire in your eyes, that determination is what got me back up. You showed me that I didn't have anything to worry about. You chased my doubts away and showed me that I wasn't alone. You showed me that you and your mother would be safe."

His father's words hit Izuku like a truck, a tight feeling rising up from his throat, the tears flowing freely now, a heavy sob racking his body. Toshinori wiped his eyes as he pulled his son into a tight hug as they shared the moment, patting Izuku's back as the fatherly pride and joy flowed through him, his feelings for Izuku being made clear.

Izuku's breathing slowed as he caught his breath, and he pulled back, wiping his eyes.

"Thanks, Dad," he said, settling his body, taking a deep breath.

"You are my pride and joy, Izuku. Now, show me what you can do. Give me that determination." Toshinori said, stepping back once more.

Izuku nodded, and mind clear now, he focused, pulling on the power.

'_Determination.'_ He focused on his determination to succeed.

He pushed the power up and loaded it into his arm. He opened his eyes, the fires behind them blazing brightly, and tensed his stance, shifting his feet in the sand.

He took a breath and kicked off, taking three long strides in a flash, swinging his fist back. The bright green ring burst into existence on his bicep as he rushed at the fridge. He swung his fist forward with a shout, and then flesh met metal. The ring of light burst down his arm in a split second and exploded out his fist into a huge shockwave.

In slow motion, the heat and pressure from his burst of power pushed on the metal, warping it in an expanding circle, forcing it away from his fist. The metal plates of the fridge buckled, each one pushing on its neighbors in a cascade of pressure and heat. The pressure created a ripple in the metal that echoed around it as the fridge began to move away from its assailant.

The fridge kicked up a tail of sand as it sailed through the air, landing on the water in the bay, skipping twice before slamming into the water, finally sinking a football field away from the shore.

Izuku and Toshinori stared in awe as the fridge hit the water with a tremendous splash. Izuku blinked and glanced back at his father, "So...uh...do I need to go get it?"

Toshinori looked at Izuku and laughed, "Ha ha, no my boy. That was excellent. Now I know where we stand. But before I give you One for All, we need to rest."

He turned away from the water and waved, "Come, Izuku. Tomorrow is going to be a big day," he said over his shoulder, "Let's hope your mother made something hearty for dinner."

Izuku smiled as he ran after Toshinori. It was going to be a long night of waiting; the excitement was already building.


	3. Chapter 3: Saturation

All for One stared at the red peg on the wall map absentmindedly, his mind elsewhere as he processed the latest news from his assistant. He twiddled the handset in his hands for a couple of seconds, before setting it back down on the receiver, a wide smirk on his face.

"Not only did our first version fail the mission, it couldn't stand up to All Might's power," the doctor said, anger seeping into his voice as he took notes while he stared through a microscope. "What a waste of time. That ball of sludge... utterly useless."

"No, Doctor," All for One said sternly. "Not useless. Just the wrong tool. We used a wrench when we should have used a pry bar. But for all of his failings, he did give us a wonderful opportunity." All for One's smirk grew into a manic smile as the idea spun in his head.

The doctor looked up from his microscope, glancing at All for One as he stood up from his chair, dragging the life-support equipment with him over to the map. He pulled the pin out of the board and stared at it for a second, before setting it into a small box next to the board. He looked up at another pin, this one blue, across the map to the opposite side of Japan.

"One piece falls, but I have another piece that will rise to this challenge wonderfully. He just needs some… reinforcement. A firm push in the right direction," All for One stated as he reached out for the pin. He plucked it from the board and carefully stuck it into the same place the red pin had been located. He regarded it for another second and then turned away from the board.

"Hmmm…" he hummed deeply. "Yes. That settles it. I think it's time to accelerate Young Tomura's training," All for One said, rubbing his chin as he walked back to his chair. Sitting back down and flipping a tube over his shoulder, he reached for the phone on the table beside him. He dialed a number quickly.

"Kurogiri," he said as the line connected after a single ring.

"_Yes, Sensei." _The deep voice on the other end of the line was polite and firm, much like its owner.

"Send for Tomura. We are accelerating the schedule," All for One ordered, "That is all."

"_Understood. I'll alert you when he is settled,"_ Kurogiri responded, hanging up with a soft click.

All for One placed the phone back down, his smile still in place. He 'looked' to his left, regarding the doctor behind him, still immersed in his work.

"Tell me, Doctor. What do you get when an unstoppable force and an immovable object meet?"

The doctor looked up from the microscope at All for One, a confused look on his face, saying nothing.

All for One continued, "They either pass through each other. Or they annihilate each other."

His grin grew wider as he turned back and focused on the blue pin.

* * *

The next morning, Izuku woke with a start, his breathing deep and ragged, his sheets sticking to him from the sweat. He sat up, glancing at the alarm clock that showed it was a little after two in the morning. He ran his hands over his face, trying to wipe away the image of the green sludge that was covering Katsuki's face, as he steadied his breath. The fear in his friend's eyes was burned into his memory now. Izuku sighed heavily as his heart rate settled.

He had been told to expect something like this by Toshinori, but his nightmare got progressively worse as the night drifted on. Izuku swung his legs out of bed, and peeled off the damp clothes, tossing them into his closet hamper. He flipped a lamp on as he stood up and walked over to his dresser, and picked out a fresh t-shirt and boxers, his eyes unfocused as he tried to fight the memory of the nightmare. First Katsuki, and then Ochako. The sludge was relentless. He had been powerless.

He snapped out of his stupor when there was a light knock at the door. "Izuku?" came Toshinori's voice softly.

"One sec," Izuku said, quickly throwing on the fresh clothes before walking over to and opening the door. Toshinori looked concerned, giving Izuku a once over.

"I heard you groaning and tossing. A nightmare?" his father asked.

Izuku sighed and nodded, pulling open the door all the way and walking away to sit on his bed. Toshinori followed and sat down in Izuku's desk chair, facing his son as he looked at his knees, hands folded together.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Toshinori asked in a low voice.

Izuku didn't say anything for a bit, his hands unfolded and grabbed onto the bed, squeezing the material tightly. He took another deep breath, "It was the sludge villain. I know you beat him, but I can't get Kacchans's look of fear to go away. I've never seen him scared before," Izuku said, keeping his eyes resolutely on his knees.

Toshinori nodded, "I figured it was something like that. Before now, you had only seen me hurt. Now you have seen your friends get into the mix of things, too. But this is nothing to be embarrassed or shy about, Izuku." Toshinori said, holding a hand out towards his son.

Izuku looked up, glancing at the warm smile his father had.

"All heroes will have this trial to face. Sleepless nights, nightmares, even full-on panic attacks. If you don't have some sort of reaction to destruction and fear, then I don't think you're truly sane," Toshinori continued, glancing down at his left hand, a slight twitch running through his thumb and index finger. "When I was in the hospital, there were... several sleepless nights."

He looked back up at Izuku, "There are still some nowadays too. I'm not saying that it's a normal thing or trying to dismiss your pain," he said, raising a hand. "What I'm trying to say is that you aren't alone and that you can always talk to me. Something everyone needs is someone else they can rely on, especially heroes. Because at the end of the day, even heroes need saving sometimes."

Izuku looked back down and swallowed, thinking over his nightmare. "It starts with Kacchan. The sludge takes him and I try to fight back, but nothing happens. I can't move or fight or even scream. But then Ochako is taken next. And not being able to help her hurts even more," Izuku said, gripping the sheets as the tight feeling in his chest started to build again.

Toshinori placed his large hand on Izuku's shaking shoulder as he fought to contain his emotions, "I know that feeling, Izuku. More than I would like to admit. The feeling of being powerless, of failing. Every time I fail to save someone. You feel like no matter what you did, it wasn't enough," Toshinori said softly.

Izuku nodded as he wrestled for control over his breathing, his father continuing, "But you need to remember, son. To overcome these fears, you must realize that you can't save everyone, and that as long as you try your absolute hardest, it's never your fault."

Izuku felt the dam break and lost control, the tears flowing freely now as his grief and fear took over. Toshinori reached forward and embraced him, wrapping his arms around him tightly, "Just let it out, son." he said, patting Izuku's back, "Keeping it bottled up will only make things worse."

He let Izuku release everything, wishing he could take away his son's pain. He only pulled back as he felt Izuku shift away from him, his son wiping his red eyes, grabbing a tissue from the box Toshinori handed him.

"Thanks, Dad." Izuku said shakily, huffing slightly as his breathing normalized, "I didn't realize how much it was bothering me."

Toshinori smiled warmly and nodded, "It's funny how that works sometimes. Your mind and will are strong, but your emotions and psyche are a different beast entirely. Now, let's get some tea and talk for a little bit then get you back to bed. I want you as well rested as possible for today," he said as he stood up, and walked out to the kitchen.

Izuku wiped his eyes and nose again, before smiling softly and following his father.

* * *

Several hours and a well-earned rest later, Toshinori and Izuku walked to the beach in silence, Izuku stretching his back and arms while Toshinori sipped from a coffee mug as they walked. The cool morning air reinvigorated the both of them as they felt the last dregs of sleep leave them once they reached the overlook of the beach, the piles of trash and broken appliances greeting them with a foul stench.

"Now, Izuku, before we begin..." Toshinori started, pausing as a black sedan pulled into the parking lot, parking in a spot close by. Izuku smiled as he watched Mirai Sasaki exit the car.

Toshinori waved, "Mirai, my old friend! Thank you for coming," he called out.

Mirai adjusted his glasses and shook Toshinori's outstretched hand with a smile. "Toshi, good to see you. My apologies for the delay," he said, bowing slightly before turning to face Izuku. "Good to see you, Small Might," Mirai said with a small smile, "This should be a very interesting day, Izuku. Are you ready?"

Izuku rolled his eyes at the nickname, and smirked, "Good to see you, too, Uncle. And yes," he answered.

Mirai's smile faltered a bit, "Then I don't need to impress the importance of this upon you. Your father is leaving you with some big shoes to fill," he said with a smirk.

Izuku grinned, and lifted his leg to look at his large red shoe, "I think I've got that covered, Uncle."

Mirai chuckled, "Good. Now then," he turned to Toshinori as he fixed a stray strand of hair.

Toshinori nodded and looked at Izuku, a prideful smile on his face. "Izuku, you have proven yourself to have an honorable and noble heart, the heart of a hero. You are worthy of being my successor. However, before you gain my power, we need to ensure that you are capable of fine control over your own power."

Izuku cocked his head with a questioning look, "You mean how I unleashed the power when I punched?" He held out his hand, staring at it intensely.

Toshinori nodded, "Yes, my boy. You have great power, but you are barely able to contain it when it is released. I watched as you threw your punches yesterday. It was crude but effective. So, what I want is for you to spend some time focusing. Instead of containing the power and simply letting it out, you need to learn how to control the flow and direction. You need to learn to consciously direct the energy out of your body, instead of building it up and letting it explode out," Toshinori said, gesturing to Izuku's arms and core.

Toshinori took a deep breath, and steam exploded out from around him, his giant form stretching out his t-shirt and pants. He looked down at Izuku and struck one of his signature poses. "**My quirk is a massive crystallization of stored power, and in your current state, while you can barely control your own power, you are just containing it until it is released. That won't work with mine. It would overwhelm you," **All Might said, "**and who knows what would happen then." **A concerned look briefly appeared on his face before morphing back into his wide smile.

He turned to the trash covered beach and gestured for Izuku to follow. All Might stopped at a large metal dumpster that had been turned over and unceremoniously righted it. He slapped the side heartily and grinned back at Izuku.

"**Here's the plan, Young Izuku. The toaster yesterday was small potatoes compared to the amount of trash you are going to melt down today." **He pointed to the massive pile of trash; appliances, scrap, even small vehicles were scattered throughout.

"**I want that whole pile slagged and put into this dumpster. You need to figure out how to command your power best in order to meet your goal!"** All Might held his fist up and nodded to Izuku, who smiled and returned the fist bump before facing the trash heap.

Izuku studied the pile and settled on his course of action, just pushing heat into the metal. He walked up to the pile, and focused on the car at the bottom of the pile, steadying his breath and stirring the power inside of him, pulling it up into his arms.

Behind him, watching on, All Might deflated, and Toshinori leaned over a bit towards Mirai, "Now, watch this," he said quietly. Mirai glanced at his old friend, before turning back to watch Izuku. Mirai had initially been skeptical of Izuku's sudden power arrival when Toshinori had called him the previous night, but he was intrigued. Izuku had shown great strength and his character was never in question.

He turned back to look at Izuku, his gaze widening as bright green rings of light appeared around Izuku's biceps, motes of light rapidly coiling down his arms that pooled around his open palms. Izuku stepped forward and placed his hands on the exposed metal frame. It took a second, and at first, Mirai wasn't sure about what would happen, but seeing the metal change from a dull grey, through red and orange, to bright white in a couple of seconds was something to behold.

Izuku continued to ramp up the intensity, pushing more power into his palms, the motes of light rushing down his arm as he slowly brought the metal in the car to its melting point, the frame warping from the weight of the trash on top. The heat spread upwards as Izuku pushed more power out, a steady stream of rising air whipping up around him as the heated air rushed up.

Izuku felt his own temperature rise, power channeling through him meeting resistance throughout his body, as sweat rolled off of his arms. But he wasn't even close to being done. He pushed through, continuing as the car and appliances sagged in front of him, their metals combining into a large pool of steaming and smoking aluminum, steel, and copper.

Only after the entire stack had been rendered down did Izuku pull back, releasing his control, the rings of light vanishing. He steadied his breath and wiped his brow with his sleeve before looking back at Toshinori and Mirai, Toshinori gave Izuku a thumbs up, Mirai simply stared with a surprised look on his face.

"Well done, Izuku. You controlled the output well, though I can see it took a lot out of you to melt something that large." Toshinori walked over and handed Izuku a rag to dry himself with.

"Next, you need to focus on accuracy and precision," Toshinori said, gesturing to his left fist. "My punches are directed so that they are accurate applications of force, hitting exactly where I want them to hit. If I missed when firing off one of my smashes, I could very easily hurt or kill an innocent bystander."

Izuku immediately thought of the punch in the alley against the sludge villain, and a chill ran down his spine. His father had unleashed a full-powered punch right next to him, and all he felt was a slight breeze. If that had hit him… he shuddered at the idea. He turned his focus back to the task at hand and studied his fist, pulling up on a tiny bit of power, a small ring of light steadily moving down his arm and settling around his fist.

"_Punches are easy to do but wide and uncontrolled. I need something smaller and faster, with more precision,"_ he muttered to himself, running through ideas. Out of the corner of his eye, movement caught his attention.

Mirai flicked away a bug that was crawling on his suit sleeve with a single finger. The proverbial light-bulb went off in Izuku's head. He glanced down at his fist and opened his fingers, keeping his focus on the ring so it slowly slid down his palm, stopping it around his middle finger.

Izuku smiled at the success of his first attempt and turned to face the wall of trash, throwing his arm up and taking aim. He released his finger and the control at the same time. The ring of light burst out from his fingertip, exploding outward. A cone of light and heat burst out, impacting the wall, impacting it heavily, forcing heated air up and over the wall, knocking some trash off.

"Yes!" Toshinori called out. Izuku caught his wide smile, seeing his father's excitement at his rapid improvement. "Just like that! Keep focusing on that, Izuku."

Izuku smiled broadly and nodded, turning back to the trash heap. He focused again, pulling more power into his finger and letting it loose at the wall, launching more trash into the air. He switched it up on the third go-around, using different fingers, and then finally focused his punch into a tight cone, blasting right through the wall of trash as a cone of heat and light, scattered sand and debris around Izuku and the adults observing him.

He panted through the exertion, finally letting his arms fall as he felt his power dwindling. He laid down on the cool sand, catching his breath. He smiled through the pain he felt in his arms the effort had left him, success was worth every ounce of pain.

A shadow crossed his face, and he looked up to see his father smiling down on him.

"That was good, Izuku. Now, let's go again. Plus Ultra," he finished, holding out a hand for Izuku to grab.

Izuku smiled, "Plus Ultra."

* * *

Over the next couple of hours, until the sun was right above them beating down with all of its might, Izuku had spent the time pushing his control to its limit, building more and more powerful attacks, and even improvising a concussive 'shield'.

"_Stopping attacks with a repulsive blast," _Izuku muttered, shaking his head as he watched the fifth concrete block rocket away from him, launched by his 'Repulsor Smash'. All Might throwing the bricks at Izuku was a great way to test, even if it scared Izuku a bit to see his father's hulking form throw ten-kilogram concrete bricks like they were baseballs.

"**Catch, son!" **All Might called out, and Izuku's eyes snapped to the incoming projectile, launched at high speed from across the beach. He prepped his arm with power, and released it in a wide arc as the block hurtled toward him, the cone of compressed air bursting out and slamming into the projectile. The energy transfer sent it careening away uselessly further down the beach.

Izuku watched carefully as it sailed away, only noticing its trajectory a split second later; it was headed right for Mirai, who was turned away, talking on the phone.

Izuku's mind raced. There was no way he could stop it in time, let alone get over there to move Mirai. He needed an even more precise attack to destroy it.

"_Now that's an idea," _he muttered, pulling up his hand, and focusing hard, channeling as much power into his open palm as he could and compressing it, before pushing it out all at once.

A column of light burst out from his palm with a rushing sound, the air jumping away from the beam as it impacted the brick, shattering it on impact, turning the brick into tiny chunks of rock and dust. It rained down on Mirai, who had been startled by the close explosion. He dusted himself off, looking at Izuku with an exasperated grimace, glancing down at his once pristine suit, now covered in dust.

Izuku smiled and waved apologetically, rubbing the back of his head before turning back to All Might, who was laughing loudly, having watched the scene with bemusement.

"**Good work, my boy!" **All Might said, walking over to Izuku, grinning broadly.

"That was too close, Dad." Izuku said, grimacing apologetically.

"**It would have been fine. I was watching. But you did exactly what you needed to! Uh, what was that anyway?"** All Might asked, glancing down at Izuku's hand.

Izuku smiled and raised his hand, holding his palm up, letting a ring of light encircle it before settling just above his skin, growing tighter and tighter, a high pitched whining sound coming from it.

"I decreased the size of the ring, but increased the power, making it turn in on itself, focusing the power into a single point, almost like a laser pointer," Izuku explained, turning toward a pile of tires, before firing the power at them, blasting a hole right through two of them. "It's almost like Kacchan's 'AP Shot', the penetrating move he uses. Accurate over long distances and controllable."

All Might's smile broadened as Izuku explained, and he clapped him on the shoulder. "**Well my boy, I think it's finally time. You have proven that you are quite capable of controlling your own power. Now, let's add mine into the mix and see what happens next!"** All Might announced proudly.

'_**All of that work and some quick thinking, and he already has a new technique that's entirely his. How cool is that?' **_All Might thought to himself as they walked back to the entrance to the beach where Mirai was waiting, finally clean of all of the dust.

* * *

"**It's time, Young Izuku," **All Might said, smiling with paternal pride as he stood opposite Izuku. "**You have proven to me that you have a heroic heart, risking your own safety to protect others." **

Mirai, standing next to All Might, spoke up next, "Izuku, in just the short time of watching you, and speaking with Toshinori, you have proven that you can control your power and use it effectively. You have surpassed my wildest expectations, even going so far as to create your own technique." Mirai's gaze changed from stern and observant to kind and paternal, before turning to All Might, "All Might, you chose a good successor. He will be the best of all of us."

Izuku watched them both, eyes shining with pride and admiration as they praised him. Tears of joy began to form in the corner of his eyes.

All Might nodded and plucked a hair from his head.

"**Are you ready to accept my gift? Are you ready to become my true successor?"**

There was no hesitation from Izuku. He couldn't wait to see what he could do with All Might's power.

"Yes, I am ready!" he said exuberantly.

"**Good. Now… Eat this!" **All Might called out, holding out the golden hair for Izuku to take.

Izuku didn't register what his father had just asked of him. He stared at the hair, confused.

"**You have to eat some of my DNA. That's how it's passed down, son," **All Might said, a weak smile on his face.

Izuku blinked and looked up at All Might and saw that he was fully serious.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense," he said, taking the hair, "I thought it was going to be one of those 'power transfer' things like in cartoons or the movies."

"This isn't make-believe, Izuku," Mirai said.

"For all you know," Izuku said, glancing at the hair and knocking it back quickly, swallowing it as fast as he could. He grimaced from the odd feeling, taking a gulp of water from the bottle Mirai handed him.

He passed the bottle back to Mirai and shrugged, "I mean, this could all be a simulation or a universe someone thought up," Izuku said, before turning to look at All Might.

****"**And now we wait. It'll take some time for your body to process the DNA. Let's keep working on your control training to see how your body eases into the new power." **All Might ordered, jumping back down to the trash, with Izuku hot on his heels, eager to see what was going to happen.

* * *

Deep inside of Izuku's cells, his mitochondrial DNA began processing new information, delivered to them by the carrier molecules that feed each cell. New segments began replicating rapidly, and the protein DNA readers began adding the code to the massive chain of spiraling RNA molecules they were in charge of, slotting the new code right next to a similar code.

The DNA was then handled by CRISPR protein molecules further down the chain, activating the code by zipping the RNA molecules together, forming a tight atomic bond, and passing it further down the incredibly small and complex assembly line, onto the final stage of DNA replication. The next version of the CRISPR protein within Izuku's cells began copying the new DNA molecules and passing them to even more proteins that would edit it into the cells nucleus, where it would be copied into the main chromosome.

The new code sat in its new home, its journey finally complete. But it still had work to do. It recognized the power sitting next to it and sent out the first instruction.

There was a small spark, a handful of electrons that passed between the new code and the similar code that had been there since the cell's creation. The old code was very unique, however. A closer examination of it would determine that not only were the molecules more tightly packed together, there were also some things that shouldn't have been there. Dark areas of power contained in the matrix of atoms, pulsing against the control the atoms exerted over them. The first spark was a request for fuel, and the old code had plenty to spare. It pulsed in response, forcing the dark matter in its core to begin spawning electrons. The spark was returned to the new code, much bigger than before. It was tiny in comparison to the size of the cell it was in, but a second push from the new code, and the old code gave up more and more electrons freely. The spark grew with each pulse of power.

The process repeated endlessly across each one of the cells in Izuku's body as he trained with All Might, his body stressing and pushing his quirk to the limit, going beyond anything he had ever done before. His quirk listened to its new partner, and began feeding it the energy it needed, latching onto the new quirk and flooding it with all it could soak up. But when it finally hit its limit, it did the only other thing it could do: pull in as much power as it could.

* * *

It began with a soft buzzing feeling in Izuku's chest like his heart was beating too fast, or he was nervous. He dropped the oven he had been carrying and rubbed his chest, concern etched on his face. He felt his arms get cold suddenly. He pulled them up and stared, turning them over in front of him. A chill ran through him, like the worst brain freeze he'd ever had, making him grimace in pain.

All Might looked back at his son at the sound of the appliance falling heavily into the sand, calling out as he turned, "**Now, now, Young Izuku, you can keep- Izuku, what's wrong?"** All Might asked, his smile vanishing as he saw the confused and pained look on Izuku's face.

Izuku looked up at his father and hero, "I'm… not sure. I'm cold-d," Izuku said, starting to stammer as he felt his breath catch in his chest. He wobbled from the sudden exhaustion that washed over him, and fell to one knee, leaning over as he tried to make his lungs expand, struggling to breathe.

All Might quickly stepped over and kneeled next to Izuku, "**What's happening, Izuku?!" **

Izuku shook his head as he felt the cold penetrate everything in and around him, soaking into his clothes, through his abdomen, down his thighs, and into his feet. His vision started to darken, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw ice start to form around his feet as the cold rolled off of him, freezing the sand beneath him.

All Might stood quickly and looked over at the entrance to the beach, but didn't see Nighteye anywhere. "_**Damn it, Mirai. Bad time for a phone call,"**_ he muttered, scanning for his friend. He needed to get Izuku help and fast.

"D-dad!" Izuku managed to squeeze out. All Might looked down quickly at his son, fear flooding him as he saw the pain in his son's face looking up at him, ice hanging off of his hair and frost forming on his face.

"H-hit…" Izuku forced out again, a pleading look on his face. He could barely mouth his next word.

"Me."

All Might felt a chill run through him. Izuku's face sent fear racing through him. The ice spread from Izuku's body in the sand in a rapidly creeping circle. He backed away for a couple of steps, and he glanced back at Izuku's face, the pain and fear in his eyes reminding him of far too many scared faces he had seen throughout the years.

'_**Now isn't the time!'**_ his internal voice screamed at him. He could feel the cold washing over him now, while the intense pull of Izuku's body soaking up the heat around him was starting to move the air as the pressure dropped, wind starting to whip around him. He clenched his fist. Fear was doused, as courage rose up and took its rightful place.

"**It's fine now, Izuku. I'm here."** All Might said calmly, forcing himself to be steady for Izuku. He took a step forward, pushing through the wall of cold ahead of him, the light around Izuku looking dimmer as Izuku's body pulled on _every _source of energy it could. With each step closer, the cold burned through All Might's clothes into his bones, the chill running through him like lightning. He reached Izuku's nearly frozen form and pulled back his large fist. He steadied himself, the cold freezing his boots to the ground and reaching up his feet. He aimed for his son's hunched over back, his largest surface area.

"**DETROIT SMASH!" **All Might called out, swinging his fist down in one of his signature moves, creating a shockwave and blast of compressed air. It collided with Izuku's back and laid him out flat, his legs and arms splaying out as his body was forced into the ground with thousands of newtons of force.

The shockwave exploded out, launching a couple of pieces of trash away from them, but the majority of the force had been delivered to All Might's target. He felt the cold abate as Izuku's body normalized, the ice around him slowly thawing in the midday sun. All Might deflated, and Toshinori sat down on the cold, hard sand next to his son and checked his pulse. Relief flooded him as he saw Izuku was unconscious, but breathing, his chest rising and falling slowly, small bits of sand kicking up around his nose as he breathed out.

"_I'm sorry, my boy. I didn't know this would happen,"_ Toshinori said softly, watching Izuku carefully.

* * *

Izuku felt _wet?_

That couldn't be right. Sure, he was on a beach with his dad and he had been sweating a lot today, more so than he had in a long time. He chalked that up to his new power usage. But they were far from the actual bay and he was pretty sure the sweat would have evaporated by now.

But he definitely felt wet, along with an odd warmth, distant and strange, but familiar at the same time. The wetness was only on his backside and back.

'_Tide might be in? It's only a couple of inches deep,'_ he thought to himself.

He groaned as he rolled over, splashing the liquid around him as his arm fell to his side. He opened his eyes, and blinked at the bright light. Flashes of green and gold crossed along the black water that surrounded him. He looked up to see a star above him. His mouth opened in awe as he watched the swirling currents of plasma and heat roll around the ball of golden and green light.

"Hey kid."

The voice made him jump. He sat up quickly, looking around for the source, only seeing the black liquid stretching out in all directions.

"Hello? Who's there?" he called out hesitantly.

"A friend," the voice responded. The liquid started to rise in front of him, slowly forming a slightly humanoid shape, more details sliding into view as the liquid drained off of the person.

He stared into the eyes of the person in front of him, jet black hair and white cape gently moving in a non-existent breeze. A woman.

She looked familiar for some reason, but he couldn't place why. He definitely felt at ease around her, so she probably wasn't dangerous.

"So... you are the ninth bearer?" the woman asked with a slight head tilt and knowing smile on her face.

Izuku cocked his head to the side but didn't take his eyes off the stunning woman in front of him. Her hair was styled like his mother's, but pure black instead of forest green. Her muscular forearms and legs rippled as she walked closer to him. Her smile never faltered, only drawing his eyes in more.

She stopped in front of him and held out her hand for him to take. He grasped it firmly, but before he could pull himself up, he was pulled up by her incredible strength.

"Sorry, but... who are you?" Izuku said, his stare continuing.

She laughed, her smile stretching a little further.

"I am the seventh bearer of One for All, Nana Shimura."

Izuku blinked. "Seventh bearer," he said slowly, turning the concept over in his mind. "So my dad-"

"Toshinori was eighth, yes," Nana said, interrupting him. "He passed his power onto you."

She chuckled lightly, a sound that Izuku immediately enjoyed hearing. "It's funny though, with you being his son. Not only did he not follow my advice and settle down, he passed his power onto his son. Under different circumstances, I would say that was a bad idea, but it seems that this was actually a better idea."

She turned to look up at the star above them, "Your power is very unique, Izuku. One for All helped create it, and so it was able to latch onto your power easily," she said, turning back to look at Izuku. "The capacity to store energy in its raw form, and the ability to release it in a controlled fashion. Your quirk is exactly what One for All needed," she continued.

"One for All," she said, waving her hand out in an arc, gesturing to the black liquid around them, "is an amalgamation of quirks, emotions, and wills. The culmination of lifetimes of fighting and inheritance, building itself up until it could overcome All for One. Both the quirk and the man who wields it. But until now, we've never had enough power, nor had the ability, to truly finish them off."

Izuku cocked his head again, "All for One... Dad hadn't mentioned him."

Nana frowned slightly, "In due time then. What you need to know is this: he is devious, deadly, and dangerous beyond anything you can imagine. Before you can even hope of beating him, you will need all of the help you can get. And you still have so far to go before your own journey is over."

She smiled brightly, placing her pointer fingers on the corners of her lips and pulling them up, making her smile wider.

"Be sure to smile brightly through all of it, and remember this: We are always here for you. Even when all else fails," she said.

A large ripple passed through the liquid, making both of them look down.

"It's almost time," she said, looking back up at Izuku, "Before I go, I will leave you with this."

Nana began to rise off the surface of the liquid a couple of inches, and floated towards Izuku, reaching out with her hands to grasp his shoulders, pulling him in for a hug.

Izuku sighed as he felt calm wash over him, her motherly hug soothing his spirit. Nana squeezed him tightly and then pulled back to stare into Izuku's bright green eyes.

"One for All is many quirks in one, fought with and built over the years. With you," she lifted her right hand and placed it on top of Izuku's head, patting it gently, "We now have the power to use all of them. Here is the first," she said, resting her hand on his head. "May _Happiness_ make you light, to _Float_ amongst the stars."

She smiled broadly as Izuku felt a surge of power flood through him, electricity arcing between him and the liquid.

His eyes rolled into his head as he felt the power spread, the surge unlike anything he had felt before. And then, it was gone.

He opened his eyes, shaking his head, but didn't see Nana anywhere around. He glanced up at the star, streaks of green and gold racing across it, and then back down at liquid below him.

"Not sure what that was..." Izuku mumbled, rubbing the back of his head, yawning widely. A wave of exhaustion hit him suddenly, his body falling towards the liquid as he fell asleep.

His body descended towards the liquid, stopping for the briefest of moments before settling into the pool beneath him.

* * *

'_Pounding head… Cold ground… Feels niiiice…'_

The ground was wonderfully cool and coupled with the hot sun beating down on him, it was perfect. He could sleep like this forever. But then he felt wet again, and his clothes were sticking to him, the unpleasant sensation roused him from his unconsciousness. He blinked his eyes open and saw his father looking at him with concern.

"Izuku? How do you feel?" Toshinori said, reaching out for Izuku's shoulder and pulling him up as Izuku pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"I'm fine. Tired. _Hungry_. But fine," Izuku huffed, looking himself over and then up at his father. "How long was I out?"

"About thirty minutes. Take it slow; you need to relax and rest," Toshinori said, patting Izuku's shoulder gently.

"Dad?" Izuku asked, looking down at his hands. "I, uh… well… something happened while I was out."

Toshinori looked surprised but didn't say anything, letting Izuku continue.

"Well, I'm not sure how to describe it, but I saw Nana. She… well, she told me about One for All, All for One, and then did something to me," Izuku continued, looking up at his father questioningly.

"You...saw Nana…?" Toshinori's eyes went wide, "You actually _saw _her? What did she say?"

"Uh, something about how One for All has more power now, and that my quirk is what it needed to be able to beat All for One," Izuku shook his head as he finished, "And I think she did something to One for All, but I'm not sure what. Anyway, it was strange."

Toshinori was contemplative for a second, placing his hand on his chin. "Well, I have no idea about you seeing Nana, but if I had to guess, perhaps One for All hijacked your quirk for more power. Or maybe your quirk started to feed One for All. Either way, it seems that you are fine now. As for All for One, that's a conversation we will be having later. I was hoping to train you for a while before I told you about that, but the cat's out of the bag now."

Toshinori's brow furrowed in concerned contemplation. After a second or two, he shook his head, "We'll get there soon enough. Anyway, that was quick thinking on your part." He gestured towards Izuku with his hand, "Very clever using my power to overwhelm your quirk."

Izuku grimaced, "It was all I could think of," he said before sadly glancing at the sand around them, "I saw the energy drain from the area, and felt the _hunger_ for more. It was desperate. It's scary. Will that happen again if I use too much power? If it does, how do I stop it?"

Toshinori shrugged, and smiled softly, pulling Izuku in for a hug. "That is something that we will work on together. For now, I'm proud of you, son. You did well." Izuku smiled broadly into his father's shoulder as he enjoyed the comfort of the hug before Toshinori pulled back.

"Come on, then. Let's get lunch, and then we'll do some more training," Toshinori said, standing up and holding out a hand to Izuku.

"And, uh, don't tell your Mom that I had to hit you," he finished, rubbing the back of his head, a nervous smile on his face.

Izuku laughed as he grabbed the helping hand and pulled himself up to his feet.

* * *

Lunch was at a small restaurant nearby. Mirai joined them and listened carefully as Izuku and Toshinori explained what had happened. Izuku stuffed himself with as much food as he could get his hands on, the hot pot being refilled four times at his insistence. Even after the bill had been paid and all three of them were walking back to the beach, Izuku's stomach growled loudly and he felt another pang of hunger.

'_Hopefully, that's not the new norm.' _He rubbed his stomach as it churned through the large meal.

After a rest on the benches at the beach's entrance, and a good conversation with Toshinori and Mirai about life at UA and what he could expect in three years, Mirai left, citing a new lead on one of his cases, and wished Izuku good luck. As Mirai left, Izuku followed his energy signature and was pleasantly surprised to see a cool purple shade attached to Mirai as he drove away. He thought about it, but then reflected on what Nana had said. Perhaps this was part of One for All giving him access to new abilities. He would need to do more testing with his energy sense.

He turned back from watching Mirai leave and started taking stock. He felt good, he felt energetic, though still hungry. He would need to eat again and soon. His energy levels were low, but not dangerously so.

He stopped for a second. He could actually _feel_ his energy level. He could tell that he was lower than he wanted it to be, but it was enough to get some work done. But not knowing exactly what it was at was sort of bothering him.

'_I should look into ways of monitoring my power levels. Maybe some sort of meter or scouting device. Food for thought.'_

Toshinori walked back up from the beach after leaving Izuku to rest a little while longer.

"Alright, my boy, how do you feel?" Toshinori asked as he approached the bench.

Izuku bounced up off the bench and onto his feet, ready to go.

"I'm good. Lots of energy. What's next?" he said, excitedly. A dark thought of using too much power trickled into the back of his mind, but he pushed it back, too eager to care.

"Next is the main event!" Toshinori said exuberantly, "You are going to activate One for All and use it to power a punch!"

He gestured for Izuku to follow him, and they navigated through the maze of trash until they reached the bay. In front of them was a lonely fridge that sat a couple of meters in front of the water.

"Oh look, it's your old friend, back to get revenge," Toshinori said, turning to look at Izuku with a smile, "You know what to do."

Izuku smiled back and nodded. He squared up against the fridge and closed his eyes, reaching deep.

He focused, immediately feeling the pull, but it was much stronger this time. He pulled the power up from his core. It paused in his chest, resisting. Izuku faltered for just a second before he pulled with all of his mental strength. He felt it click, and then the dam burst. A colossal amount of power was dumped into the river of energy that flowed into his chest and his shoulder, creating a large green ring that encircled his upper arm, spinning rapidly.

He opened his eyes, looking at the fridge. Smiling, a green glow behind his eyes, he started to run towards it. After two long strides, he flashed forward, and willed the energy into his arm as he cocked it back, fist clenched tight.

The ring of light, before the transfusion of One for All, a simple halo of white light, was now a neon green circle of sunlight and static. It traveled down his bicep, into his forearm, and settled into his knuckles. His fist connected with the fridge and emulating his father, he yelled "SMASH!"

The energy was released into the metal plating of the appliance, and there was a huge flash of bright light and an ear-popping sonic boom as the shockwave burst backward.

Izuku blinked.

The fridge was just… gone.

The sand in front of him was cleaved into a 'V' that extended deep into the water.

The water had parted down to the ocean floor, sand and rock were shoved aside, cleaved or both. Izuku could just make out the waves crashing back together near the horizon as steam ebbed off his body in thick clouds.

Toshinori stood in disbelief looking at his son.

'_What on Earth have I created?' _

* * *

Shoko Todoroki considered herself a _very _neat and organized teenage girl in all things, except when it came to her bedroom. This meant that while her closet was jam-packed and organized by season and color, her bedroom floor was a disaster zone of clothes, plushies, and other miscellaneous items strewn about chaotically.

That was just the way she liked it. It was perfectly contrasted to her twin brother, who was borderline obsessive-compulsive with his cleaning, taking a dust strip to his entire closet at least once a week and making sure that his underwear was pressed and folded so it fit neatly in the drawer.

Their parents had tried to find some explanation for the reason that the twins were different in so many ways. Shoko huffed as she read over the report from the quirk specialist for the fifth time. Her father's latest attempt at understanding their powers had been a _wonderful_ time. Not only was her ice less powerful than Shoto's, but it seemed that her fire was less powerful too.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"It's open," she said softly, tucking away the report and sitting up on her bed.

The door opened, and Fuyumi, her eldest sister peeked around the door carefully.

"Hey, 'Ko. Um, I'm about to make dinner. Any requests?" she asked, watching her younger sister cautiously. Fuyumi could tell when Shoko was in one of her moods, and boy, was she in one now.

"Soba," Shoko said shortly, throwing the papers onto her desk harshly.

"Soba?" Fuyumi said, a small knowing smile popping on her face.

"Soba," Shoko repeated. She turned away from the door and Fuyumi, wiping her cheek of what were definitely _not _stray tears.

It was so frustrating to her. She pushed and she pushed, and Shoto was still better. Her parents were better. Ochako and Katsuki were better. She hated it. She hated not having their strength. She wanted Izuku's strength. He never stopped. He was strong enough for anything.

"Well, okay then. Give me a couple of minutes," Fuyumi said, closing the door as she turned away down the hall.

Shoko slumped over onto her pillow, pulling the green bunny plushie close as she buried her face into its soft fur, trying to dry her eyes. She was only mildly successful, as more tears started to fall.

* * *

The rest of the day had been grueling for Izuku, running across the beach, picking up materials, melting them down, and dumping the recyclable scrap. The first attempt with his newfound power was _still_ cooling down in a pile of sand, the white-hot steel truck rims turning the sand around it to glass as it sank.

He had to turn down the power immensely in order to continue slagging the metal safely, using barely a trickle of his power for plastics. The plastic chair he had attempted to melt after the steel rims stood as testament to the necessity of control. He looked to the small pile of blackened carbon residue, currently billowing _wonderful_ smelling smoke into the air. His focus at this stage was paramount, as any slip up really could be a disaster if the chair was any indication.

He continued until his father walked up, keeping his distance from the heat.

"Excellent work, Izuku. You have really improved since lunch. But I think that's enough for today," Toshinori looked back over the beach and nodded.

"I think you'll keep working on the beach until it's clean, in addition to your dojo training. I'll work on getting heavier weights for you, as One for All will increase your strength as well," he continued, walking towards the beach entrance, gesturing for Izuku to follow.

Izuku set the cube of steel he had been processing down and followed after his father, glad to finally be done for the day. He was exhausted after hours of pushing his power and his stamina to their limits. He was glad to be finally going home.

They left the beach and walked back in peaceful silence, Izuku too tired to start conversation and Toshinori in a contemplative mood.

At the halfway mark, Toshinori slowed down a bit and spoke up, "Izuku, my boy, there is one more thing that I need you to work on." Seeing Izuku's wary glance, he chuckled and put up his hands defensively.

"It's not more physical training, I promise," Toshinori said with a smile, "I need you to build yourself a support network. You, of course, have me and your mother, but you need to have a select group of people that can help you. One for All is _your _secret now. Yes, eventually, I will burn through the last embers I still have and soon enough, the burden of One for All will be entirely on you."

Toshinori patted Izuku on the back as he continued, "You should tell one of your friends about it, so they can share this burden with you. And before you interrupt," he said as Izuku opened his mouth, "trust me on this. Keeping this a secret from everyone and not having help is far worse than someone close to you knowing. There is a very real possibility they will get hurt for knowing, but it is _guaranteed _that you will hurt them more by keeping it a secret."

Izuku looked surprised and closed his mouth. He thought for a second, "I guess I never thought of it like that," he said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"You obviously shouldn't go around telling everyone, but having friends that can support you is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Share the burden, lighten the load," Toshinori said.

Izuku nodded, his mind settling on Ochako and Katsuki at first. Katsuki would probably be pissed at him for accepting a power boost. But Ochako would be supportive and helpful. She was the nicest person he knew, besides his own mother, but still. She was awesome.

Having made up his mind, he looked at his father and smiled.

"Good," Toshinori said, turning back to the walk, "Oh, and be sure to get yourself a good support technician, like David is for me," he said, "Hm… it's been a couple of weeks since I last heard from David. I should check in with him."

Izuku pondered his father's words some more. A support tech would be helpful, especially with the energy meter idea he had earlier. Knowing when he might hit his threshold would be really handy, especially so he could prevent his quirk from overdrawing power.

"_Hm… Overdraw. Good name,"_ he muttered, "_just need a source of power to prevent… _Oh!"

The lightbulb clicked on again.

* * *

Ochako's phone chirped, letting her know that she had a new text. She put her pencil down and stretched her fingers as she reached for her phone, immensely glad for the interruption from her mathematics homework. She wasn't bad at it; on the contrary, she was really good at math, but it was dull and boring.

Flipping open her phone, her face lit up with a smile as she saw the message was from Izuku, listed as Deku in her phone. She had co-opted Katsuki's ironic nickname for Izuku years ago without realizing the meaning at first but eventually it stuck and she had Izuku's blessing.

She read the message, a simple question about meeting him on the roof of the apartment complex, a frequent meeting spot for the group of friends when they wanted to be alone and talk.

She sent her reply in the affirmative and stood up quickly, grabbing her hoodie and sandals, walking to the door.

"Going upstairs, Mom!" she called back to her mother in the kitchen, who was currently making dinner.

"Dinner in an hour! Don't stay up there too long," the reply came back, but Ochako was already halfway out the door.

She looked around to make sure the coast was clear, and not spotting anyone, she stepped up to the railing. Their apartment was on the fourth floor, the Midoriya's was on the third and a couple of units to the left. She took a breath and touched her hands together, pushing her quirk into herself. She felt the weight of the Earth's pull disappear from her body and kicked off the railing.

Soaring up to the roof silently, she could feel her stomach start to churn during the steady ascent before she released her quirk, landing deftly in front of Izuku, who had a big smile on his face. He watched her catch her breath and adjust her clothes.

"Hi Ochako," he said with his wide smile that made her stomach turn off a bit. He needed to stop doing that.

"Hi Deku," she said softly, smiling back at him, trying desperately hard to contain her blush. Ever since the previous day, images of him fighting had been running through her mind, the strength and determination he had shown made her feel funny.

"Thanks for coming up," Izuku said, gesturing for her to sit next to him on the wicker chairs in the sitting area. The sky had been steadily getting darker, and the first of the stars were starting to appear, practically begging them to watch together.

They settled into the chairs and sat in silence for a couple of seconds.

"So what's on your mind?" Ochako asked, looking over at him curiously. He was staring up at the sky, eyes bouncing around the dim stars before they fell to look at her own.

"Well, I'm not sure where to start, so I guess I'll start at the beginning," Izuku said, turning back to look up at the stars.

Ochako rotated herself in the chair to face him more. Whatever he had to say must be important. He looked nervous, almost... scared?

Izuku sighed heavily, "Basically, Dad gave me his quirk so now I'm his successor to fight one of the strongest villains in the world, and I have to keep it a secret until I'm ready to face him. Dad's quirk gave me a massive power boost, and if I'm not careful and use too much power, I could cause serious damage, even kill someone. I need to eat a lot more than I used to, even though I was eating a lot already. I think I can see peoples' energy signatures because you show up as bright pink when I focus on you, while my dad is a soft yellow. Also I… I'm rambling..." He took a deep breath and looked over at Ochako, "Sorry."

Her mouth was open, eyes wide, her face showing a great stunned reaction. She blinked and closed her mouth.

"Well… uh… okay…" She blinked, taking a moment to process the torrent of information Izuku had just trusted her with. "Pink?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him curiously.

Izuku chuckled and nodded, "Bright pink."

She thought for another second. "Huh… Cool."

* * *

They ended up spending most of the evening on the roof, just talking. Izuku went over everything he had been told and discovered in detail, with Ochako occasionally asking questions, mostly for clarification. She sent a text to her mom midway through, letting her know she would miss dinner, but otherwise, she had kept her focus on Izuku. So much so, that she was surprised to see that it was almost eleven at night when she next checked her phone.

"It's getting late," Izuku said as he stood up, stretching out from sitting for so long, "Sorry for keeping you up."

Ochako stood up as well, and stretched lithely, briefly enjoying catching Izuku glancing at her exposed midriff. She shook her head, and smiled, "It's not a problem, Deku. I'm happy you trust me enough to share your secret with me." She bounced over and hugged Izuku tightly around his chest, smiling into his shoulder as the warmth of his muscles seeped into her.

She pulled back, a wide smile on her face, "Just let me know whenever you need to talk again."

She looked up at him, the bright smile on his face making her stomach turn again. Had he always been that tall?

"That makes me really happy, Ochako. Thank you," he said grinning from ear to ear.

She nodded, and turned to leave, her eyes sweeping down him as she turned. The gap between his shoes and floor _almost _slipped past her. She stopped and looked back at his feet in surprise.

"What is it, Ochako?" Izuku asked, concern creeping into his voice.

"Uh, Deku? Since when can you _hover_?" she asked, gesturing to his feet.

He looked down, and suddenly realized his feet weren't touching the ground anymore.

"Huh. That's new."


	4. Chapter 4: Amelioration

The next morning, Izuku and Ochako sat quietly in the back row of Toshinori's truck as they trundled through the streets. Toshinori occasionally glanced into the rearview mirror at his son, still a bit shocked at the news that Izuku had given him about his new ability.

'_Sensei's quirk... One for All is full of surprises,'_ he thought to himself, shaking his head amusedly as they came to a stop outside a large three-story building.

"What's this place, Dad?" Izuku asked, peering up at the building as they climbed out of the car.

Toshinori clapped his son on the shoulder, smiling broadly, and gestured to the entrance, "This is a quirk gym, a place for legal quirk usage so we can see your new ability without worrying about disturbing anyone."

He glanced down at Ochako, a questioning look on his face, "And I was hoping that Young Uraraka would be willing to help you, as she has some experience with the floating aspect."

She beamed up at him and nodded excitedly, turning to Izuku. "Of course I'll help! It'll be fun!" she said emphatically.

They entered the gym, followed the check-in and registration process, and then split up at the locker rooms.

After changing into work-out clothes, they met Toshinori in front of a large steel door with a small thick window in it.

Toshinori pulled open the heavy door and gestured them inside, showing off a large lit arena.

"This used to be a racquetball court, but they converted it to for people with dangerous quirks to use. The walls are thick and sound-proof, so you can let loose in here," Toshinori explained as they looked around the large space. It was rather plain, concrete floors and walls, the overhead lights casting the entire space in bright white light.

Toshinori turned to look at Izuku, "Go ahead and let's see what we are dealing with," he said, motioning for Izuku to start.

Izuku nodded and closed his eyes, focusing hard. He didn't feel any different, opening his eyes in confusion. Ochako and Toshinori were watching curiously, and he felt some heat of embarrassment rise up.

"I'm… not sure how to activate it," Izuku said sheepishly, glancing down at his feet before looking at his father for guidance.

"Think about what happened last night when it activated," Toshinori said thoughtfully, his hand on his chin, "It might help you find the activation for it."

Izuku blushed slightly at the memory of the hug and smiled softly as Ochako's gaze met his own. He smiled and nodded, happiness rushing through him as he remembered. It was simple; but it was still special.

It was subtle at first, but the shift in pressure and the removal of Earth's bind to him was enough to make him look down in surprise as he saw his feet leave the concrete floor, floating a couple of inches off of the ground.

Ochako let out a soft gasp, her eyes wide, and Toshinori grinned widely as Izuku hung in the air.

"Well it seems you were correct. You have Nana's quirk, Izuku," Toshinori said with pride, shaking his head in near-disbelief. "Uraraka, go easy on him," he finished, patting her on the shoulder gently.

Izuku smiled broadly as he hovered, "Hm… I wonder how this works," he pondered aloud, spinning around, looking for any telltale sign.

"From what I remember, Nana said it was seamless. Just picture yourself flying," Toshinori stated, frowning, his brow furrowed as if trying to remember. "Something about it being like Superman, but she didn't say much else. I don't think she expected One for All to be able to pass down quirks, so she never described her own power in detail."

Izuku nodded and focused again, picturing himself flying like Superman, as corny as the idea was to him, imagining himself lifting up towards the ceiling. His father's words rang true, as just as he thought it, he rose up towards the ceiling slowly, spinning as he gained altitude. His smile never faltered as he touched the rough concrete ceiling and then focused on falling slowly, his descent going smoothly until he touched the ground.

"So… yeah… I can fly!" Izuku exclaimed, chortling with glee as he jumped into the air again and pushed out with the new quirk, swinging between the ceiling lights slowly.

Ochako clapped with glee, laughing at Izuku's antics, waving to him as he drifted over her and Toshinori, coming to land behind them.

"It does seem like there isn't a lot of speed to it," Izuku muttered aloud, looking down at his hands.

"Nana's quirk was _Float_, Izuku," Toshinori said exasperatedly, "Not flight, or Zero Gravity. She could float along with some control, but she was at the mercy of air currents most of the time. She mostly used it to slow descents and save people from falling," he finished, nodding to Ochako. "Ochako can teach you about balance and control, and you can work on the propulsion later."

Ochako looked up at Toshinori with a determined smile and nodded, turning to Izuku and walking forward. "Let's start with orientation. You still have gravity. So let's remove that as a reference." She reached out and touched Izuku on the cheek with all of her fingers, smiling as he caught her gaze, smiling softly and nodding as he felt gravity leave him, as well as another odd pulse. There was a brief moment of vertigo as his senses got disorientated and he tasted…

'_Pink?'_

He blinked. An odd shimmer gleamed on the edge of his vision, but he couldn't focus on it. It almost hurt, his eyes straining, as if trying to flip over in his head. Izuku blinked again, and grunted as something clicked in his head. He stopped trying to fight it, and it burst out against his eyes, immediately relieving the pain.

He blinked rapidly and looked back up at Ochako and his mouth fell open in awe. Beyond her look of concern at his grunt of pain and distress, he saw vast curls and waves of bright pink light, ebbing and flowing out of her, almost like magnetic field lines, vibrant and radiant.

It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. A bright pink aura around Ochako, and a huge field of energy flowing around her, and all he could do was stare, mouth agape. She was framed like a picture of a goddess, graced with glorious pink light.

"Deku, are you okay?" Ochako asked cautiously, her blush growing the more he stared at her and around her. She put her fingers together and released her quirk. Izuku watched as the field around her dimmed, the lines growing faint.

"Yeah… uh…"

He closed his mouth and swallowed heavily, before shaking his head sheepishly. "Just something new. Again," he stuttered out, trying hard to keep his heart rate under control.

"What do you mean, _new?_" Toshinori asked cautiously. This was getting out of hand. First, Nana's quirk, and now something else after Ochako used hers on him.

An odd tingling in his hands drew Izuku's attention, and he was startled to see field lines burst out of his palms, though to a much smaller degree than Ochako's, barely the size of a soccer ball, compared to her five-meter diameter sphere, and bright green instead of pink.

He flexed his hands and stared at the field lines in wonder.

"'Chako, I think… well, I'm not sure, but I _think _I... copied your quirk?" he stammered out, looking at her in confusion, as she stared between him and his hands.

"What makes you think that, Izuku?" Toshinori said, worryingly.

Izuku reached out and touched his father's bicep and pushed on the field lines in his palms. Toshinori immediately felt vertigo as gravity vanished, his long hair lifting up, baggy clothes drifting with him. He let out a yelp of surprise as he floated upward a couple of inches.

Ochako stared in awe as Toshinori struggled against the weightlessness, before Izuku pulled back on the field, letting his father descend gently to the ground. As soon as Toshinori hit the ground, Izuku wobbled with vertigo and fell to a knee, nausea hitting him hard.

"Ugh… 'Chako, I don't know how you handle that," Izuku moaned as he rubbed his stomach, praying that his breakfast stayed put.

Ochako's stupor was broken and she let out some giggles before kneeling next to Izuku and rubbing his back soothingly, smiling brightly at him. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it. But how did you copy it in the first place?"

Izuku took a couple of deep breaths and relaxed as his stomach settled, plopping down to sit on the cool concrete. He stared at his hands again and looked up at Toshinori in confusion.

"Perhaps, something to do with your ability to absorb energy?" his father offered, shrugging slightly. "This is all new territory for me too, so your guess is as good as mine."

Izuku smiled weakly, glancing at Ochako, and shrugging. "I do absorb a wide variety of energies. I don't see why emitter type quirks would be any different."

Ochako looked thoughtful, then snapped her fingers, "We'll need to test with Shoko and Katsuki too. But first, it looked like you didn't copy my quirk's power level, just the quirk itself. I can handle _way_ more weight than what you just did before I get sick." She looked at Toshinori, "If he has my quirk as if it's brand new, then he'll need to train it just like his own," she advised, to which Toshinori nodded in agreement.

"Well, that settles it, my boy," Toshinori said, sticking out a hand for Izuku, "You have a _lot_ of work ahead of you."

Izuku grunted as he stood up, smiling brightly.

"Plus Ultra, Dad!"

* * *

The next few weeks were grueling for Izuku, with not only his own quirk training, but Float and Zero Gravity with Ochako, learning Telekinesis from his mother, and even copying Absolute Zero from Shoto and Hellflame from Shoko. He spent entire mornings before school training, stretching his abilities to their limits each day, using Capacity to melt metals and plastics for recycling at the beach, stretching Float and Zero-Gravity by practicing flight and weight training with Ochako which led to more than a few lost breakfasts. Izuku quickly learned not to eat beforehand on days he was working with Ochako.

Lessons with his mother were simple and slow, while training with Shoto and Shoko had been brutal, as all three of them worked directly with Endeavor and Blizzard for their lessons.

In between those lessons, however, he worked on the quirk given to him by One for All. Izuku had already gotten Float down pat, able to nimbly navigate through a rock obstacle course at the quirk gym and dodge debris thrown by his father. But what he lacked most was speed.

'_Float just isn't fast enough...'_ He grimaced as he dodged another rock, just barely avoiding it.

But the next rock was much closer and his instincts took over. He had a split second, raising his hand and unleashing an impulse blast, shattering the rock, and Newton's laws took over. The blast from his palm shattered the rock, the recoil from the compressed air and heat expanding outward sent him careening towards the other wall, where he smacked into the concrete with a solid thud. Slightly dazed, he shook his head to clear the dust, and a smile spread on his face as the idea clicked into place.

"Too easy," he muttered to himself, pushing off from the wall slowly and settled onto the ground, walking over to a concerned Ochako and curious looking Toshinori.

"Figure something out, Izuku?" Toshinori asked, recognizing the thoughtful look on Izuku's face immediately, a knowing smile forming on his face.

Izuku nodded, smiling widely. "Yeah, but I need to go outside to test."

Toshinori nodded, smiling proudly, walking the two teens out.

Ochako looked up at Izuku as they walked, "What did you figure out?" she asked quietly.

Izuku smiled brightly at her, "Newton was smart as hell," he said coyly, saying nothing more until they were outside in the parking lot.

"Well then, let's see it. Thirty seconds of flight, then back here," Toshinori said bemusedly, gesturing for Ochako to stand back.

Izuku did a quick double-check of the area, making sure it was clear, and grinned at his friend and father, before placing his hands at his side, palms down.

"Ignition!" he called out, igniting tight rings of power in his palms, smaller versions of his Impulse blasts. The rings channeled super-heated gas down into a column of heat, pushing up against his hands, pushing his whole body up as he activated Float, sending him skywards. There was a blast of downwards air, and Toshinori had to grab onto Ochako to prevent her from getting thrown back from the backblast.

In a split second, he was rocketing upward, screaming with joy into the rushing air as the earth fell away from him. His ears popped as a disc of compressed air burst around him, his burst pushing him past the sound barrier instantly. He wanted more. And he still had twenty-five seconds.

'_Faster!'_

Izuku pushed on his power, igniting a large ring a couple of centimeters in diameter under his feet, and his speed tripled as the ring of green fire erupted underneath him, shock diamonds forming in the supersonic exhaust. Rocketing upward, faster than any person had any business going, Izuku pushed against the air, fighting not gravity but air pressure and friction, his clothes and hair whipping in the super-sonic air. When he finally counted to fifteen, he killed the power, and coasted, rising up through clouds.

He looked down, and was amazed at the view, crystal clear sky all around him, green and brown earth below him, black space above him. Fifteen seconds of flight at speeds well beyond the sound barrier had put him at the top of the troposphere, with the curvature of the earth plain as day while leaving buildings and cars too small to see.

Izuku marveled at the view for a couple of seconds before wistfully somersaulting in the air and igniting his thrusters again, blasting back down, enjoying the powered fall to earth. He spotted the parking lot and a waving Ochako. Grinning like a madman he decreased the power, coming to a slow hover before stumbling on the landing next to her and Toshinori.

"Have fun?" Toshinori asked, a knowing smile on his face.

Izuku's beaming smile and wind-swept hair said everything he wanted to say.

* * *

A couple of days later, Izuku strode towards the training room he had seen Katsuki enter earlier. He paused at the door, hand reaching for the handle. He thought back, the look on Katsuki's face earlier stirring something up. He had been off for a while now, throwing himself deeper and deeper into training, both with their group and by himself. Not to mention his temper had gotten shorter lately. He had literally exploded at Shoko the other day, over something trivial, something that no one had seen coming. Izuku glanced down at his hand on the doorknob, a frown on his face. Katsuki always preferred to handle his personal issues by himself, though Izuku and the others had been trying to reach him, talking to him

An explosion thumped from within the training room, strong enough that Izuku felt it through the door. Izuku pursed his lips, hesitating as his hand hovered over the handle into the room.

'_Something's wrong with Kacchan,_' the little voice in his head said, '_You have to do something.'_

Izuku nodded to himself and put on his best comforting smile. He reached for the doorknob and turned. The door to the training room swung open.

Izuku peered through the dim light of the dojo, stopping when he saw Katsuki. Standing off to the side, his shoulders tense and energy flickering wildly, as though he was seconds away from releasing his quirk. The ash-blond was staring at a pathetic-looking punching bag right in front of him, the bag torn open, sand trickling to meet a pile just below it. If Izuku squinted, he could see the edges of the hole were scorched. Usually, Kacchan was a lot more careful with the training equipment, especially since it was Endeavor's.

"Kacchan?" Izuku called out as he closed the door behind him, walking into the room.

Katsuki flinched violently and whipped around, his eyes immediately searching for a threat and finding Izuku. He seemed to relax a little bit as they locked eyes, though there was something guarded and volatile in his expression.

"The fuck do you want, Deku?" he growled.

Izuku noticed Katsuki's shoulders droop and relax mechanically, as if desperately trying to hide whatever he was feeling before Izuku entered.

Izuku let his smile soften. "I was hoping we could spar. I doubt a punching bag is a worthy opponent."

'_Especially when it's torn open,' _Izuku thought with a slight grimace, glancing at the sand. '_Sensei isn't gonna be happy.'_

Katsuki's guarded expression hardened for a moment, a biting defensive comment no doubt on the tip of his tongue. But instead of barking at Izuku, the explosive blond took a deep breath and let it out harshly.

"Fine."

He turned towards the sparring mat, flexing his right hand and arm as he approached it. Izuku watched carefully for a second, practically seeing the moment Kacchan's mind switched into a strategic stance, mentally calculating all the moves either of them could do, anything to give himself some kind of advantage.

Relief leaked into Izuku's smile. This would help Kacchan take his mind off whatever's troubling him. Izuku moved purposefully, striding into the arena, and assumed a strong stance on his side of the mat, designed to take hits and prevent the user from getting knocked over. He raised his palms up, wide and open, ready to receive Katsuki's attacks.

"Don't hold back, Kacchan," Izuku said, his grin stretching just a bit as he teased.

Katsuki smirked just a bit, which was good enough for Izuku, even as the scowl came back in full force. He braced as Katsuki launched himself forward, thrusting his palm forward, small pops and cracks firing out, before he unleashed a small explosion right into Izuku's open palm, the heat and light getting soaked up by Izuku's skin, a soft green glow pulsing across his skin.

He continued the barrage, mixing up attacks after a minute or so, switching between hooks and slaps, into palm strikes and slashes, utilizing Izuku's quirk to ensure damage was kept to a minimum. After a couple of minutes, when Katsuki was panting, Izuku mixed it up, trading his own blows, launching into jabs and punches, firing off pulses of power equal to Katsuki's lower powered hits. But when Katsuki overextended a punch, Izuku saw an opportunity he couldn't resist.

Izuku grabbed Katsuki's overstretched arm, and pulled him forward, waiting for the odd pull of the quirk copy. But none came, instead there was an odd buzzing coming from Katsuki, even as Izuku spun Katsuki around, sending him tumbling down to the mat. Izuku glanced down at his hand curiously for a second before looking at Katsuki's angry glare.

"You overextended, Kacchan. Come on," Izuku said, jeeringly, his smile steady as he waggled a finger.

Katsuki glared up at him from his position on the mat, before flipping up into a much larger explosion, which Izuku tanked. As the two fell back into the back and forth rhythm of their spar, Katsuki's stance became more fluid, stronger, his woes forgotten, hopefully. Still, Izuku refused to give him the win.

In Katsuki's own words, 'It doesn't count if you don't try your best,' after all.

So when Katsuki threw a cross at an opening Izuku allowed him to see, the larger teen was ready. Izuku's hand secured Katsuki's own, stopping his attack cold. Izuku's much larger palm gripped Katsuki's tightly, prompting the explosive teen to retaliate with his left hand, which was quickly locked into place by Izuku's right.

Crimson eyes widened slightly as he processed the move. Izuku couldn't help but smirk as he pushed a familiar energy and field lines into Katsuki's fist. Nausea rolled in Izuku's gut as gravity abandoned his sparring partner, watching as shock, vertigo, and panic overtake his focused expression. With Katsuki at his mercy, Izuku whirled around, yanking the shorter boy off his feet and throwing him to the other side of the mat.

Without gravity or a hint of what the hell just happened, Katsuki bounced off the end of the mat and kept going, slamming into the far wall with a grunt. He was fine, a hit like that would hardly cause damage to someone like Katsuki, though for both of their sakes, Izuku deactivated Zero Gravity and fought to keep the new wave of nausea in his gut where it belonged, wobbling on his feet.

Kacchan landed without grace and immediately leapt to his feet, his lips pulled back into a feral snarl.

"What the _**FUCK **_was _**THAT**_?!" Kacchan shook slightly, rage radiating from his every pore as he glared daggers at Izuku. It'd been a long time since he was this angry…

Still, Izuku kept his best comforting smile on his face.

"I knew you wouldn't want me holding back against you, Kacchan. I figured out something new with my quirk, and it would be wrong to hide it from you," Izuku explained calmly. Katsuki stilled, his rage giving way to a more blank, possibly curious look.

Izuku continued, "I can absorb all sorts of energy, apparently including the kind that quirks use. That means I can copy quirks, so long as I can replicate the energy signature of the original quirk. Well, emitter-type quirks, anyway, like Ochako's and my mom's. Heck, even the twins' quirks."

Katsuki ducked his head, his eyes hidden by his fluffy ash blonde hair. Silence overcame the training room as neither young man said anything. It was broken only by Katsuki's quiet question.

"...Mine?"

He barely sounded like Kacchan. Soft, unsure, almost strangled even. It was becoming harder to smile.

He shook his head, despite the fact that Katsuki wasn't looking. "That's the thing, Kacchan, the copy didn't work on your quirk."

Katsuki didn't move a muscle, allowing Izuku to explain.

"My guess is that you actually have a heteromorphic type, not an emitter." Izuku tapped his temple for emphasis, "I can sense your quirk's energy, and if it was an emitter type, I would have copied it without too much of a problem. You have a really cool quirk, Kacchan."

"_Would_ _have_?"

Finally, Kacchan looked up at Izuku again. A cold anger and something else Izuku couldn't place was set deep in his crimson eyes.

"What, you wanted to add _**my **_fucking quirk to your collection too? The five you have already aren't enough?"

His palms sparked and crackled defensively. An unfamiliar, sinister smile stretched across Katsuki's face. Despite him smiling, there was no joy; a grim visage, feral and desperate.

**"FIVE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU, DEKU?!"**

Kacchan stomped towards the sparring mat, breaking into a run half way. He kicked off, pulling his hands back. Izuku noticed the priming motion and prepared for the full powered shockwave that was coming, spreading his arms wide. The explosion hit with a burst of light and heat, and Izuku tugged on the heat and pressure as hard as he could. Damaging Endeavor's house was not an option, even if it helped Katsuki get through whatever he was dealing with.

Izuku brought the explosion back under control, absorbing the energy until all that was left was a puff of smoke, before turning his gaze back to Katsuki. His smile fell a bit as he saw the anger in his friend's eyes, the sheer rage and pain behind them evident to even him.

"I have to push myself, Kacchan. You know that better than anyone," Izuku reasoned, pushing his quirk out, coating his arms with swirling green and black ribbons of light and power. Katsuki launched another barrage, which Izuku deftly swatted aside or absorbed, using his shielded arms as batons for deflection.

Katsuki stopped attacking, catching his breath and glared at Izuku's arms for a second, his expression becoming more pained. "That's exactly what I'm talking about, you goddamn bastard!" he shouted, gesturing at Izuku, "Always getting stronger, always improving! It's _infuriating_!"

Izuku looked down at his arms and dispelled the energy, as guilt welled up inside of him. He had always been improving, faster than the others, faster than Katsuki. Was it really bothering him that much?

"And how the fuck are you always improving so damn fast? I can't keep up and it's pissing me the fuck off!" Izuku noticed his eyes starting to look wet, his friend's face warped in anguish and rage, his rant making steam rise up from his body. "I'm fucking weak as shit compared to you, and getting stronger is taking too _fucking_ long!"

Izuku stared in surprise, his smile gone. He thought back. It _had_ only been a couple of months since his power awoke in full force, One for All aside. Was it really _that _strange for his abilities to get stronger that quickly? He knew that his father took years to perfect his power usage.

"You punched a hole through the sludge bastard with a single goddamn punch when all I did for ten fucking minutes was fight for a single breath and ruin the fucking alley!" Katsuki shouted, his face red with rage, hands out at his side, cracks and pops firing randomly.

"It wasn't even a fucking fight! I couldn't do anything!"

Tears began to form in the corner of Katsuki' eyes, and Izuku could hear cracks in his voice now. Katsuki's head fell.

"I was so weak and I failed. I _am _weak. I can't grow like you can," he said in a quiet, small voice. Katsuki's rage had vanished, replaced by things Izuku had never seen from the boy.

Disappointment.

Resignation.

Failure.

This was not the Kacchan he knew.

Izuku stood tall, his eyes resolute, "Kacchan, you _are _growing_. _You _will_ grow. Who you are now isn't who you have to be forever. You are capable of so much, including change, and that's good. It's expected of us, especially given our age. You will grow beyond anything you can possibly imagine—" Izuku clenched a fist "—and I'm going to help you every step of the way."

Katsuki looked at him in silence for a minute, before looking down, his frown disappearing.

"What...what if...it's something wrong with me? What if I can't be strong?" Katsuki asked solemnly, head hanging.

Izuku reached over slowly, and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Then we'll change it. You're going to be one of the best heroes, Kacchan, I promise," Izuku said, watching his friend's face carefully.

Katsuki's shoulders slumped further, his breathing relaxing as he turned from Izuku to wipe his eyes.

"...Thanks, Izuku," he muttered.

Izuku smiled brightly, "I'm always here for you, Kacchan."

He pulled back his hand and held up a fist.

"No matter what."

Katsuki looked up finally, glancing at the fist first, then up at Izuku's glowing emerald eyes. He smirked, and met his friends fist with his own.

"Now," Izuku said calmly, "Let's go again." He took up his strong stance once more, green light bursting into life around his arms.

* * *

Toshinori adjusted his tie in the mirror again, the long red stripe hung loosely against his frame, much like the rest of his ensemble: baggy white button up shirt and a baggy yellow striped suit. He sighed, rubbing his side, the familiar twinge of phantom pain echoing out. It had been getting noticeably worse over the few months that had passed since giving Izuku One for All.

"_Five years…" _he muttered to himself as he put the finishing touches on his outfit before walking out of the bathroom and into the living room of their apartment, adjusting his suit.

"What's that, dear?" came Inko's voice from the kitchen, a mild tone of concern laced in the middle.

"Nothing, love, just thinking aloud," Toshinori said, smiling softly as he joined her in the kitchen, leaning down and kissing her on the cheek as she prepared breakfast. She hummed softly, leaning into him before turning back to the cooking vegetables.

"Well, thinking about what?" she pried, glancing at him as he pulled a prepared protein shake out of the fridge, Toshinori's usual meal supplement. He shook the bottle, stirring the contents thoroughly.

"Nothing important, just remembering. It's been five years," he said softly, popping the top of the bottle and taking a couple of swigs of the shake. Inko stopped her prep, glancing at Toshinori, her eyes darting to his side for a split second.

"So it has. But now you have a new challenge," Inko said, putting her smile back on, turning back to her prep work.

"Indeed, I do," Toshinori said, chuckling softly as he finished his breakfast. He washed out the bottle and kissed Inko on the head again, before turning to leave.

"Just be safe, dear. And have a good first day!" she called after him as he walked into the entryway.

"You too! I'll see you this afternoon," he called back to her as he put on his too-large shoes.

"I'll have dinner ready!" Inko called out in response from the kitchen.

He smiled as he closed the door behind him, still marveling at how he had gotten so lucky.

The trip to the station was short, and the train ride to his new place of work was even shorter. The UA gates were just as impressive as he remembered them, the glistening lettering and white concrete shining in the early morning sun. There weren't any students around yet, as it was the weekend, and their winter break was almost done.

He felt pangs of nostalgia as he walked through the halls towards the teacher's office, memories of the past with his friends, with Inko and the others and all of the training they undertook. He smiled sadly, knowing the good times were gone. He rubbed his side absentmindedly.

"Something bothering you, Toshinori?"

The voice from the past behind him made him jump, almost out of his loose suit. He turned to see UA's president and teacher of the Heroic Ethics classes, Nezu, a small rodent-like creature, wearing a vest and trousers.

"Ah, President Nezu, no. My apologies, just memories," Toshinori said, bowing down to his old teacher.

"Well then, let's go inside," Nezu said, walking up to the door to the teacher's office and pushing on it, "the others are waiting to meet you."

Toshinori took a deep breath and inflated his form, filling out his suit. He put his signature smile on and followed Nezu in, ready to greet his new coworkers.

It was a short affair, but each of them was pleasant enough, even the female with the long black hair, Aizawa, though she seemed to have something of a chip on her shoulder. And huge bags under her eyes. Poor girl looked exhausted.

"So All Might, I'm looking forward to seeing how you handle the Battle Trainings this year!" Nemuri Kayami, the 18+ Hero: Midnight, said excitedly, practically bouncing in her chair as All Might sweated in his suit, the pressure starting to get to him.

"**As am I! I'm excited to show the students my experience and help them learn!"** he said, as teacherly as possible, hoping to come off well.

There was a phone jingle from across the room, and everyone glanced at Aizawa, who was looking at her phone with a blank expression.

"What is it, Aizawa?" Nezu asked curiously.

"There was a major earthquake off the coast," she responded simply, "A big one. 9.6."

There was another jingle and her eyes narrowed.

"And apparently Emi wants to get married."

But before anyone could respond, the lights went out and a low subsonic rumble could barely be heard. Then the whole building began to shake, tossing desks, lamps, and teachers around like dolls.

* * *

'_Don't squeeze her hands too tight, is this too loose? How much is too much?'_

Momo's hands were very soft. Really soft, almost as soft as her lips had been when they first attempted to kiss.

'_Back on track! Lines!'_

She needed to be thinking about her lines, not about the kissing.

'_Wait! The kissing is part of…Damn it!'_

Why couldn't she get that kiss out of her head? She was going to have to do it a dozen more times, and some of them even in front of other people! She looked towards Mina, who was watching rehearsal from the empty stands behind Momo with great amusement. Or maybe she was watching Eiko freak out over kissing Momo. This was Mina's fault.

'_She knows, doesn't she? She has to know!'_

Her pink friend had the most infuriating smile on her face as she watched the pair and mouthed "If I profane~", gesturing with her hands for Eiko to take over.

Eiko gulped again and steadied her breath, willfully ignoring Momo's dazzling smile and sparkling eyes that were on her as she continued her lines, "I-if I p-profane with my unworthiest hand, this holy shrine, the g-gentle skin is this: my lips, two b-blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss," she recited.

Momo's smile grew just a bit, and Mina in the background clapped once, flipping a page of their play before gesturing at Eiko again. This wasn't fair!

"Good pilgrim," Momo began, putting on her best English accent, and hitting each word in practiced perfection. How was she so good at this? "You do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this. For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."

The words flowed from Momo's mouth like the sweetest honey, each syllable pronounced perfectly, the pacing of each placed in a perfect line. Eiko couldn't help but stare as Momo recited, the very act being a work of art.

Momo stared, her smile not wavering as she continued to look Eiko right in the eye, then Momo squeezed her hands. Her lines! She had lines! She smiled nervously, "Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?" she recited, her nervousness fading slowly, Momo's hand in hers steadying her nerves.

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer," Momo recited.

"O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. They p-pray; grant thou-" Eiko glanced at Mina again, the rest of the line eluding her. Mina mimed praying with her hands together, and then despair by holding a hand to her forward and mimicking a cry out.

'_What does that even mean? Oh!'_

"Lest faith turn to despair!" EIko finished, the words snapping back into her memory, her eyes snapping back to look at Momo, her smile stretching a bit more.

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake," Momo continued.

"T-then move not, while my p-prayer's effect I take," Eiko said, her nervousness hitting her again. This was it. The thing she had been so worked up about.

She took a shallow breath and leaned in, pulling Momo closer to her. She watched carefully as Momo's eyes closed as she got close, and slightly puckered her lips. Eiko matched her and moved forward slightly.

Their lips met, Eiko's mind racing as she felt Momo's soft lips on hers, her perfume wafting to her nose, Momo's wonderful floral scent instantly erasing her nerves, the wonderful feeling of Momo's skin on hers making her feel tingling all over. She felt as if the ground had moved underneath their feet.

It was but a second later and Momo pulled back, her smile coming back in full force.

"Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged," Eiko said, her voice barely above a whisper, her red eyes staring into Momo's deep dark irises.

Momo's eyes twinkled again, "Then have my lips the win that they have took."

Eiko smiled a toothy grin, "Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again," she said, pulling Momo close again, her attention focused on Momo's eyes still, her lips begging for the feeling of Momo's again.

The lights went out, and the floorboards rumbled, followed by violent shaking, throwing Eiko and Momo to the ground. Then there was a crash, followed by screams.

* * *

Endeavor raced through the city on a column of fire, his earpiece abuzz with conversation. He tried to ignore it as best as he could, focusing on his colossal task at hand. He glanced down, eyes on his partner in life and heroics, Blizzard, racing through the streets on sheets of ice, close on his tail.

"_Endeavor, confirm status," _a voice over the comm said in his ear.

"En route! How much time left?" he called out, putting more heat into the exhaust under his feet in anticipation of the coming news.

"_Satellites are tracking, showing heavy progression. Expect the tsunami to hit within thirty minutes," the voice announced._

"Goddamnit," he growled, putting more heat on, rocketing towards the beach on the outskirts of Mustafu.

"_Don't worry! We have plenty of time! The city is already partially evacuated!"_ Blizzard's smooth voice came through the comms.

Endeavor didn't respond, keeping his focus on flying, barely registering the damage to the city below him. The earthquake had taken its toll earlier that day. Thousands of homes damaged, high-rises toppled, huge cracks in the asphalt of roads and concrete of parking structures. The heroes had responded in record time, many of them coming from all over to aid rescue efforts. Even UA's faculty and students had leapt to the challenge, helping out as they could.

But even the Number One hero can't stop a tsunami, where Mother Nature's unbridled energy is put to terrible use and effect. So, in a desperate bid to save the city and many others, a drastic plan was created. The orders had gone out. After ensuring their children and friends were safely away from the city, Endeavor and Blizzard split up from All Might to fight back against a true disaster.

Endeavor landed on the beach, his ripping hot boots melting the sand into black glass, watching as the water slowly began to pull back. They had mere minutes. He glared and spun around, looking for the other heroes that were supposed to be helping him. Movement out of the corner of his eye made him turn as his wife approached, closely followed by Pixie-Bob of the Wild, Wild Pussycats.

"You ready, Number Two?" Pixie-Bob said, smiling broadly as she bounced on her feet, glancing out over the beach and the waves

"Yes. Let's get to work. We have a lot to do," he said shortly, turning back to the water and jogging out, steam billowing off of the ground as he moved over the water-logged sand.

"I'll be right behind you!" Blizzard called out, priming her quirk, fog rolling off of her arms.

"Pixie-Bob, start making the wave break! I'll start sealing it as soon as the shape is right!" Endeavor called out, gesturing for her to start.

"Right!" she responded, pulling up the sand underneath her feet to move her rapidly along the beach. She pulled up with her large gloved hands, gesturing towards the beach sand, and pictured the diagram from the briefing. A wall curved outward, like a wave facing the ocean, but fifteen meters high and five meters thick. The curve would reflect the wall of water back, preventing it from hitting the city. Or so they hoped.

She pulled on the sand, pushing her quirk hard, gritting her teeth as the stubborn wet sand moved sluggishly. Higher and higher the wall of sand rose, cresting over as its master forced it into the proper shape, a huge wave of sand rising off the beach.

Endeavor watched, arms folded, as Pixie-Bob worked up the sand, calming himself to prepare for the task at hand. Fire hot enough to melt sand into glass for five kilometers was a very tall order, and he had to be careful to not overheat. He took a long, deep breath as the first section of the beach was ready and channeled his heat and power, stepping forward and unleashing a huge blast of white hot fire, scorching the sand at the base, steadily working the stream of plasma up as the sand solidified and compressed, forming a dark glass wave. Blizzard followed up with icy blasts, sealing and tempering the glass by rapidly cooling it.

The tag-team moved down the beach steadily, combining their quirks to create the largest glass wave-break wall they could. They only stopped when the low whine, rapidly increasing in pitch, of the sirens from the city sounded out over the wall. Endeavor turned to look over his shoulder, an instinctual fear running through him as the wall of water in the distance rushed towards them.

"We're done here. Let's move!" he called out, launching off the ground with a burst of fire. "Time for phase two!" he ordered, nodding to Blizzard as she lifted herself up on a column of ice, his gaze lingering on her blue eyes for a second. She smiled and nodded back, spinning in place and sprinting around the top of the huge glass wall.

"Ready, Pixie-Bob?" Endeavor called out, glancing over at his temporary teammate.

"Ready! Let's crush this!" she responded, her smile confident and self-assured. She pushed out with her quirk, sweat forming on her brow as she concentrated on the beach below her, slowly pushing it down, caving in huge sections of the beach as the sand was forced back, elevating the beach into a sharper slope.

Endeavor surveyed their work as the water rushed in, silently praying that the design would work as intended. Off to his right, his wife waited to unleash on the water if it broke through the glass wall. Pixie-Bob did her job, panting on the side, ready to redirect the water if needed, while he was on station to flash evaporate it.

"Brace yourselves!" he shouted as the wall of water approached, slamming over the raised beachhead, throwing the sand like a kid in a sandbox. It slowed the water, but the real test was the wall.

Two forces, one unmoving, the other with too much momentum, collided.

* * *

The next day, All Might looked over the city below him, his spot on the balcony of the government office giving him an excellent view of the destruction, the towers of UA off to the left of the view, their perch on the hill showing the strong building in all of its glory. His thoughts turned inward as he looked on.

He considered himself lucky. UA's construction department was among the best in the world, able to withstand anything up to a nuclear strike, god forbid anything like that happen. The staff had made it out with a couple of bruises and scrapes, while the rest of the city had been thoroughly ravaged. He was grateful Izuku had been home with Inko when it hit. Their living room was in shambles: a mess of broken glass.

"All Might?" a voice behind him asked.

He broke out of his thoughts and turned to look at the young secretary. "They're ready for you now," she said, bowing and gesturing towards the large oak door. He nodded and strode over to the door, pushing it open and entering quickly. Inside the conference room was a large table, with around twenty men and women sitting, listening to one of the others yelling at the foot of the table.

"...and that's not even the worst thing right now! Not only do we have this disaster, but the local governor is saying that we can't finish the evacuation because one of the direct evac roads collapsed! He says it will take two days to clear."

All Might looked at the middle aged man in a wrinkled suit who was standing and yelling, shaking his fist in anger as he gestured at a map on the wall.

"Even if we could find a way to contain it, these people can't be within fifty kilos of here! It's too dangerous!"

The man at the head of the table, who All Might recognized as the head of the Hero Association and liaison for the government raised his hand, and the yelling man fell silent.

"I understand your concerns, Mateo. But right now, we must focus on containment. All Might," he said, looking to the hero, "let's get you up to speed. We need your help or at least a suggestion." He nodded to one of the other men around the large table, who nodded back. He stood up and looked at All Might.

"You already know that the earthquake, a 9.6, caused significant damage to surrounding areas. However, there has been a development. The nuclear power station located outside of the city that was scheduled for decommission has suffered from structural damage. We estimate that within a day or two, the reactor wall could breach," he glanced down at his notes before continuing, "Estimates from the engineers say that this could be as bad or worse than the Chernobyl accident of the mid-1900s, and completely eclipses the Fukushima Daiichi accident of 2011."

All Might could only stare. What did they expect from him with something like this?

"**Why wasn't the reactor already offline?"** he asked, hoping to buy some time while he thought.

"The reactor is an ancient design, hence its scheduled decommissioning, but budget cuts and logistics prevented it from happening quickly. This was an oversight of the Nuclear Committee, who are already taking the blame for this. Now we just need to solve the issue of the damaged reactor," the director said, taking over for his subordinate. He gestured to another subordinate who pulled up a piece of paper and handed it to All Might.

He glanced over the page and studied the design of the reactor as well as specifications.

"**What do you have already?"** he asked, a couple of ideas popping up.

"We know that this particular reactor is designed to be removed for servicing, so we might be able to just pull it out, like a battery, essentially. The problem with that idea is that the main doors to the reactor room are sealed, mostly like by the earthquake. We can't get into the room physically," the subordinate stated. "The doors are a meter thick, made of reinforced concrete and steel."

"Would you be able to deal with something like that?" the director asked, glancing over All Might's form.

'_**Maybe in my younger years, but there is no way now!'**_ his inner voice screamed at him.

"**Possibly. I'd have to get eyes on to know for sure,"** All Might said, eyes not daring to look up from the page. "**Anything else?"**

"We have to be careful for aftershocks from the earthquake. They could happen at any time, and any one of them could change the environment inside the plant," the director said, a couple of other men nodding in agreement.

"Not to mention, we still need to check for survivors inside the plant," another subordinate interjected, "there are entire sections of the plant that we can't get to. Who knows where they are all at."

The director nodded, "So, as you can see, All Might, this is… complicated. We called you because we thought you were the one with enough power to be able to handle it."

'_**Enough power? Hah, no. Not anymore. That title goes to- Wait…'**_

"**Director, I might have a solution. But we need to discuss it in private,"** All Might said, a smile on his face again, his eyes staring into the director's.

* * *

Izuku's leg bounced against the metal floor rapidly, small dents appearing as his boot made impact. His position in the chair against the wall of the large cargo plane they were in gave him a great view out the window. In the distance, he could see the cracked and crumbling cooling towers of the reactor. They would be diving right into the area in minutes.

"**Izuku, my boy, relax,"** All Might said calmly, placing a hand on Izuku's knee to still his son.

"Sorry, Dad. Just nervous and excited," he said through the standard issue helmet's mask, turning to look at his father.

"**Haha!"** All Might chuckled, "**I'd be worried if you weren't, but I need you focused. This is serious and one small mistake could be very dangerous."** His signature smile faltered for a second as the plane shook with a bit of turbulence.

"**Remember, we need to be discrete. You are a secret agent on this mission, only helping because the government is giving you special permission to help. You have to follow my orders perfectly, is that understood?"**

Izuku nodded, "Yes sir. I won't let you down."

"**I know you won't," **All Might said, pride in his voice.

There was a bang as the door to the cockpit opened and a uniformed airman clambered down the ladder and walked over to them quickly.

"Okay! We are almost over the drop zone. Get ready!" he called out, gesturing for them to join him at the back of the plane. He walked over to the wall, and pulled down on the ramp drop lever.

"**Do you remember the plan?" **All Might called out as the noise in the plane skyrocketed as the ramp dropped down, showing them a gorgeous view of the city below them.

"Get in, get to the reactor, attempt to shut it down, find survivors, and get the hell out!" Izuku responded, nodding.

All Might nodded and gave a thumbs up to the airman.

"GO FOR JUMP!" he shouted, giving them a thumbs up.

"**HERE WE GO!"** All Might shouted, taking a couple of steps before leaping out of the plane, 10000 feet up.

Izuku's grin exploded on his face and he leapt after his father, diving into the sky as the wind ripped past him.

"_**Stage 1: Insertion! Go!"**_ All Might's voice came through the earpiece in Izuku's helmet.

"Understood!" Izuku responded. He adjusted his body in the air, bringing his arms and legs together to streamline his fall, aiming down for the roof of the plant, right over where the main reactor would be. Once he lined up, he glanced over to see his father in his hero suit and parachute alongside him. He gave a thumbs up, and clicked a button on his watch. It would take nine seconds to reach the reactor. He started the clock and pushed out with his quirk, creating a ring of energy under his feet, and igniting it.

No longer falling, instead rocketing towards the ground, he pushed past his terminal velocity, a shock cone forming around him as he passed through the speed of sound almost instantly. He needed as much speed as possible to break through the reinforced concrete surrounding the reactor, turning himself into a human bunker buster.

Izuku held his fist out in front of him and pushed out power, encasing his fist in green and black energy. He braced, the concrete rapidly approaching, until he collided with the hardened material, impacting like a meteor, punching through multiple layers of steel and concrete, only stopping once he hit the ground floor, leaving a small crater in the tile. He pulled his fist out of the tile and dusted off the suit, looking around, before looking up at the hole he made, chuckling as All Might landed next to him, albeit much softer, having followed him down.

"**Good work, Izuku," **he said, clapping him on the shoulder, chuckling as Izuku continued dusting himself off.

"Piece of cake!" Izuku cheered, "Time for Phase Two!" he said, turning to look at the massive concrete and steel nuclear 'bottle' in front of them. He could feel the radiation pouring out of the machine and knew that they were on a short clock.

"**That was almost too close," **All Might said, as he walked around the reactor core, ducking under pipes as he inspected the machine.

"I had to get us close. I don't know how much time we have," Izuku stated as he moved over to a control panel with several buttons. He looked over it, searching for the button they needed for the emergency shutdown. It would force all of the control rods into the closed position, completely killing any nuclear reaction.

But when Izuku finally found the large button under a protective cover, fear began to creep up his spine. It was already pressed in. Someone had already shut down the reactor. So why was it still leaking radiation?

"All Might!" Izuku called out, "We don't have much time at all! The reactor's already shut down!"

When All Might didn't respond immediately, Izuku looked up, more fear creeping in. All Might was strong, but not radiation proof. He'd have to be careful, just like anyone else. Izuku tore away from the machine, sprinting around the reactor, dodging under pipes and struts, searching for All Might. He let out his breath when he found him on the far side, standing still and staring at something in front of him.

"All Might?" Izuku asked, walking behind him, then following his gaze.

A huge crack, a foot wide, running up from the floor, up the wall of the reactor, an ominous blue glow emitting from the hole, Cherenkov radiation flooding out of the container.

"**No time at all, son,"** All Might said softly, "**The reactor is breached."**

"Dad," Izuku said, trying to keep his voice calm, "you need to get out of here. Now."

All Might nodded and spun, sprinting away. Izuku stared at the glow for a split second longer, before following his father.

"**Let's start finding survivors, and quickly!" **All Might ordered, punching through the steel door to the reactor room with ease.

"Right behind you!" Izuku called out, tearing after his father as they sprinted down the hallway.

* * *

"**Right, that's the last one!" **All Might called out as he placed the last of the nuclear workers on the ground gently, the man bowing and thanking All Might before turning to the medical team, clothed in radiation suits. All Might had managed to get all fourteen of the missing workers out to the medical station outside of the plant, making sure that Izuku was hidden inside the plant. No one could know that he helped, even if he was covered in black clothes and looked like a normal soldier. The questions and inquiry into All Might's and Izuku's lives would be brutal.

"Thanks All Might!" One of the medical workers called out.

All Might gave a thumbs up and turned back to the plant, a faint feeling creeping up. There was a brief moment of stillness and then another aftershock hit, the third that day, the small tremor shaking everything strongly. All Might held onto one of med workers who had started falling, watching in awe as the damaged cooling towers collapsed finally, dust and stone getting kicked up in a huge cloud. There was an explosion beside the towers, and the fireball rose, casting light all over the area.

"That last one did it! The reactor's core is exposed!" one of the engineers shouted, furiously taking down notes from his Geiger counter. "Radiation levels are skyrocketing!"

All Might turned back to look at the entrance to the plant, where Izuku was hiding, hoping that he knew.

"_I'm on it!"_ came his voice a second later, making All Might sigh softly with relief.

"_**Be careful, son,"**_ he whispered into the ear piece.

* * *

Izuku tore through the complex, racing to the reactor, pulling on the radiation as it was escaping, drawing it into himself as he sprinted from room to room. When he finally reached the reactor core room, he was swimming in pure gamma radiation, the flow of energy from the reactor was like a sweet ambrosia, drawing him in.

His body had turned into a whirlpool, sucking in as much as it could take, the dark matter within his cells feasting on the electrons with glee. He moved towards the crack in the reactor and looked it over, noting that the last aftershock had opened the reactor, the core material oozing out, melting the concrete and steel in a blue and white fire. His suit began to smolder as he got closer, until the cotton fibers ignited and burned away, leaving him naked, standing next to the nuclear pile.

"Plutonium-239. Half-life of 24,110 years. Let's see what we can do about that," Izuku thought aloud, reaching into the core material, plunging his hand into the super heavy mix of metals and radioactive elements, and willed the energy into himself.

There was a loud groan and cracking noise above Izuku, and he looked up just in time to see the concrete ceiling collapse. He pulled his hand out of the fuel and spun, ready to brace against the incoming concrete. It slammed into him, forcing him down, slamming his back right into the semi-liquid nuclear fuel.

Bright green lights of power arced across his body and his eyes burst open, green light pouring out of his irises.

* * *

All Might watched in horror as the roof of the complex collapsed, the walls falling soon after. He didn't dare react in case someone was watching, but a shout behind him made him jump.

"What on earth?! Levels are falling drastically! There's no way the building collapse did that!" the engineer from early called out, practically dancing with excitement.

'_**Izuku must have succeeded, then. I just hope-'**_ ****

There was a rumbling and a high pitched whine in the air, and as All Might turned back to look at the plant, he was nearly blinded. A huge beam of green and black light burst through the rubble, chunks of concrete flying away from the beam as it reached into the sky.

Everyone around All Might stood in awe at the sight, the beam casting light all around, throwing sharp relief with the shadows across of the witnesses.

Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the beam petered out.

"What the hell was that?" the engineer asked. But All Might was already halfway to the collapsed building.

* * *

Izuku didn't wake up until the early afternoon the next day, sleeping longer than he ever had. He was groggy and disoriented, the confusion of being in his room throwing him for a loop.

'_Must have used more power than I thought.' _He made a mental note to work on his power meter idea.

The door to his room opened and Toshinori walked in, carrying a tray of rice, pork katsudon, and veggies, which he set on the end of Izuku's bed.

"Oh good, you're up," Toshinori said, looking over Izuku as he sat up, his stomach growling.

"Thanks for the food!" Izuku said, before tucking in, almost inhaling the rice and veggies, but slowed down and savored the pieces of fried pork cutlets. He swallowed and moaned in contentment, before looking at his father with a smile.

"This hits the spot. I'm exhausted and starving," he said in between mouthfuls.

"Good. Be sure to thank your mother," Toshinori said, a knowing smile on his face.

"So, how did we do yesterday?" Izuku asked as he took another bite.

"We did perfect. The core was totally inert, and everyone was saved. I'm proud of you," Toshinori said, smiling brightly.

Izuku looked at him curiously, "Then why am I sensing a 'but' somewhere in there?"

Toshinori chuckled and nodded.

"The '_but'_ is that someone got a picture of you. The media is aware that I wasn't alone, though they have no idea who you are," Toshinori said, pulling out his phone and playing a video showing the beam of light and then a blurry shot of All Might pulling Izuku up out of the rubble.

"You were unconscious, but the beam of light and then the molten ground around you were enough evidence that a formal inquiry is being launched. Since the public has the right to know about all Hero matters that don't involve state security, they will probably get the answer they want," he continued.

"But I doubt we'll have to worry about that just yet. People are still picking up the pieces from the earthquake and not really focusing on much else."

Izuku watched the video again, the beam of light mesmerizing him. How had he done that? He'd have to try it out again later.

"Anyway, I'm glad to see you up. Had me worried a bit. Take the rest of the day off, you earned it," Toshinori said, patting Izuku's shoulder before leaving the room.

Izuku smiled to himself and laid back down, picking up his phone, to see a text from Ochako, making his heart race and a smile cross his face.

She was asking how he slept and why he wasn't at training the other day.

He sent her a message letting her know he just woke up and that he was training with his father and that he was worn out. He stared regretfully at the screen, wishing that he didn't have to lie to her, but he made a promise that no one could know he was involved last night.

He decided to get up, took a nice long shower, and then grabbed a small snack before sitting down at his computer.

He started research into circuitry for his quirk, needing some way to watch how much power he was using, and to see his overall power level. He looked up piezoelectric circuits and magnetic resonance switches, both promising for other designs he had. He went down a rabbit hole on superconducting metals, advancements in metallurgy, and graphene polymers.

Ochako sent him a couple more messages, most of them talking about the homework they needed to do for their classes.

After a couple of hours of gathering ideas and researching designs for the power meter, he looked for local listings for someone that might be able to make the device he had in mind.

'_Any type of prototyper or electronics guru should be able to make it,' _he pondered, '_Wonder if Dad knows anyone.'_

Izuku stepped out of his room, and found his parents watching TV together.

"Hey Dad?" Izuku asked, "do you know of anyone that can help me with something to monitor my power usage?"

Toshinori looked up at him, smiling and curious, "Good to see that you are thinking about that. I have a place that might be able to help. I'll text it to you. Just be sure to tell them that All Might sent you."

"Thanks," Izuku said, heading back to his room, as his phone jingled, the message from his father showing a place a couple of cities north.

"Looks like I'll have to take the train. Shouldn't take very long though," he thought. He got ready to leave, getting dressed and bid his parents goodbye, and then headed out towards the train station. He sent a message to Katsuki, Ochako, and the twins letting them know where he was going. They each sent a message of affirmation that it was a good idea, with Shoko and Ochako reminding him to make sure to get it in a good color.

Izuku chuckled and tucked his phone into his pocket, and then boarded the train a couple of minutes later. Two stops later, he got off, and following the map on his phone, found the little shop tucked into an alleyway.

A small hand painted sign that said Hatsume Hero Support and Mechanics was over the garage door. It was… quaint. Simple and clean, but Izuku knew that the pearls were often found in unsuspecting places.

He was just about to cross the threshold of the shop door, when there was a shout, a large bang and a huge cloud of smoke came billowing out in front of him. He walked through the door, a soft chime in the back went off, and then he heard an older scruffy voice.

"Gotdangit, Mei! How many times have I told you not to use the acetylene torch when you have combustibles on the table!?"

"But Grandpa, I'm so close to being done with my newest baby!"

"NO Mei! Go clean up the front. I heard the doorbell."

Izuku heard an exasperated sigh, and then saw a young woman with bright pink hair, a black tank top, and goggles on her head walk out of the back room with a broom. She looked up at him and stared for a second. Izuku smiled brightly at her.

"Hi there. I'm wondering if you can help me?"

Mei broke out of her stupor, and then rushed over to him.

"Oooh, so tall and muscley. You'd be perfect for a new baby I'm designing!"

"Uh, sorry, did you say baby?" Izuku looked over his shoulder as she poked and prodded his torso.

"Oh! You're interested! That's good! What's your blood type? Is it-"

"MEI! GET OVER HERE!" the scruffy voice called from behind the counter. Attached to the voice was an older man with a large salt and pepper mustache, overalls, and a baseball cap. He was glaring at Mei. She cowered behind Izuku for a second, then resigned herself to walk behind the counter.

"My apologies for my granddaughter, sir," the man bowed, "she has a very curious and inventive nature. My name is Hatsume."

"No apologies needed! Sounds like she is very enthusiastic." Izuku chuckled, as he smiled at Mei, who squirmed a little.

"You don't know the half of it. So, what can I do for you? Perhaps some work on hero gear?" the older man asked politely.

"Actually, I need some help with something custom. I have a very unique quirk that allows me to store and release energy in many forms."

The older man tilted his head in thought. Mei's face burst into a huge smile. She almost started vibrating with excitement.

"I need a device that will allow me to monitor my power storage and usage. I realize that it is a difficult challenge, but you were recommended to me. He seemed to think you'd be up for it." Izuku smiled as he watched Mei start fidgeting and could make out a small squeal coming from her.

"Who is this '_he' _that recommended us? We don't usually get special requests." The old man looked skeptically at Izuku.

"All Might sent me," Izuku said simply.

With that, Mei positively exploded.

"GRANDPA! LET ME DO IT! HAVING SOMEONE THAT ALL MIGHT RECOMMENDED WOULD BE GREAT, _just think about all the press I could get if he used my babies._ PLEASE GRANDPA, LET ME DO IT!" She started bouncing on the spot.

"Easy, Mei! Down! STOP IT!" He glared at his granddaughter as she stopped bouncing. Then he turned to Izuku and started chuckling, "Well, it seems I have no choice in the matter now. Come with us, sonny. Let's see what we can do."

Izuku followed them around the counter and into the workshop. It was vastly different than the exterior portrayed. A whole wall covered in almost every tool imaginable, custom fabrication machines, 3-D Printers, and based on what Izuku had seen on the internet earlier, what looked like a 3-D metal extrusion table.

Izuku let out a low whistle as he looked around. "You have quite the setup here," he said as he marveled at the workspace.

Both Hatsumes were grinning with pride, Mei bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"We do what we can to help those who help others," the elder Hatsume said sagely, "Now, let's do some tests to see what we are dealing with."

Mei pulled a bunch of measurement devices, some that scared Izuku a little.

"Uh, what kind of...tests...are we talking about here?" Izuku asked apprehensively.

"Oh, nothing too dangerous," Mei said as she walked over, "Just need to get lots of measurements, and figure out how you store power, how much you have, etc."

"This won't take long," the elder Hatsume said, "Just don't get carried away, Mei. Focus on the customer's needs."

"Yea, yea." Mei nodded. She started muttering to herself as she measured Izuku's body, stuck probes to his skin, and various other tests.

After about an hour, she finally turned away from Izuku, wrote a bunch of notes down on a notepad, and then walked over to her grandfather. They talked in a low whisper for a couple of minutes, then both Hatsume's walked over to where Izuku was sitting.

He stood up and looked at their grinning faces, not sure how to feel about their looks of glee and mania.

"So, doctors, what's the prognosis?" he asked, chuckling nervously.

Elder Hatsume chuckled, "We have a good idea of how to make a device that will read your internal energy store and power output, but it's going to require a neural link. From what we can tell, your power is controlled by your nervous system, so we'll need a way to read it," he explained.

Izuku cocked an eyebrow up at the mention of his nervous system. They figured it out fast. It took him a couple of days to figure out how his quirk handled the energy.

"So, you really have two options," the elder Hatsume continued, "you can have a neural lace installed that will interface directly with your nervous system."

Izuku had read about neural laces, but the cost was extreme, the surgery dangerous, and there was a chance of it not working. Involving weaving superconducting fibers into his spinal column, into his brain, and down to his extremities, it wasn't something to be considered lightly.

"Or, you can just use a neural net scanner. No pain, no surgery, but you'd have to have the interface around your neck and back of your head in order to get an accurate reading. Also, it's nowhere near as accurate as the lace. Expect a 10 to 15% margin of error."

"Ok, well, obviously, we'll go with the neural net scanner. If the technology gets better or the surgery gets cheaper, then I'll consider it," Izuku said quickly, wanting to put the idea of surgery out of his mind.

"Great! I'll get working on it right away. Come back tomorrow! I'll have it ready for you!" Mei said enthusiastically, "_Oooh, I already know exactly how i'm going to get this to work."_

"Oh, okay!" Izuku said with surprise, "I wasn't expecting it to be done so soon. What about payment? How much is this going to cost?"

Mei wheeled around and sped off to one of the fabricators, leaving Izuku and elder Hatsume.

"Don't worry about payment, sonny. You said you are with All Might, and he's already squared it up with us," Hatsume said, grinning broadly.

"Oh! Wow! Thank you!" Izuku said exuberantly, bowing deeply in thanks.

"My pleasure. Like Mei said, come back tomorrow. We'll have something nice for you," Hatsume said.

"Sounds good!" Izuku said, turning to leave, waving goodbye.

He sent a couple texts to Ochako and Shoko, and a thank you to his father.

His journey home was quick, and when he got home, dinner was waiting. He talked to his parents about the Hatsumes and their shop, and all of the ideas he had now that he knew that a lot of it was possible. Toshinori grinned the whole time, the conversation reminding him about his time with his master, and his own enthusiasm.

After dinner and clean up, Izuku worked on his hero costume ideas. He had changed the greaves around a little, and the video Toshinori showed him had sprung new inspiration for a modification to the cuirass.

After an hour of drawing his ideas, he decided sleep was a good idea, and crawled into bed.

Sleep came easily.


	5. Chapter 5: Preparation

Izuku woke early the next morning, his eyes throwing themselves wide as he scrambled up to look at his clock, relief flooding him. For whatever reason, his mind had it that it was a weekday, but thankfully, it was still the weekend. Sundays were days of rest according to his father's plan, days meant to relax and let your body rest from strenuous workouts and work. Even if it was summer, and school was out for another month, he kept his schedule.

Izuku didn't need a full day to let his body rest, with his quirk overclocking his body's repair response beyond superhuman levels, but he relished in just laying in bed all the same. He stretched languidly, breathing deeply as he felt the last dregs of sleep slip away. Nodding to himself, he sat up, and reached for his phone.

He frowned slightly as there weren't any messages waiting for him, but the memory of yesterday's excursion to Hatsume's shop struck a huge grin on his face. Excitement flooded him as he leapt up from his bed and practically flew to the bathroom to get ready for the day, his imagination running wild with what his new power meter would be like. In record time, he was ready, showered, dressed in a t-shirt, shorts and his large red boots and racing for the entry door.

"Izuku!"

He stopped on a dime, hand on the door handle. His mother's voice was full of motherly concern.

"Aren't you at least going to eat breakfast before you go?"

That wasn't a suggestion, Izuku decided. The tone of her voice was more forceful than suggestive. He hung his head in agitation for a split second, then smiled, turning back to look at his mom, her apron dotted with splatters of batter.

"Come on, I made pancakes, just like your father likes them," she said, gesturing to him to join her in the kitchen.

Izuku groaned, but followed obediently, almost begrudgingly. He certainly couldn't fault his father for his simple vices, but the man hardly ate, which meant Izuku was gonna play clean up. That meant at least a full hour delay, not to mention the heavy weight in his belly as the food processed.

He trudged into the kitchen and dining room where Toshinori was already tucking into the first round of pancakes, a plate stacked high of the delicious fluffy buttermilk goodness that Inko had perfected over the years. Toshinori waved Izuku over with a huge grin, pushing the seat across from him out as he took a large bite, followed by a strip of bacon. Izuku grinned and quickly sat down, pulling a plate towards him and loaded it up with Inko's fabulous cooking.

One bite of the golden brown maple syrup covered delight mixed with the smoky bacon and Izuku was in heaven, eyes rolling into his head with delight. He considered all things with his mother forgiven, and took another bite, groaning in ecstasy.

* * *

All for One watched the grainy video footage, replaying the last couple of seconds of the rescue at the doomed nuclear reactor.

"There you are…" he muttered to himself, watching as All Might raced towards the collapsed reactor plant a split second after the bright beam cut through the sky.

He sat back in his high back chair as the video looped again, pondering the implications. A slight flicker in the special infrared display caught his attention, and he started the loop one more time, focusing on where he saw the flicker.

He pressed the space bar on the keyboard when he saw what he was looking for, a malevolent smile growing on his face.

A smock of dark hair, outlined by a flash of green light, a naked body laying in the rubble, barely noticeable against the light grey of the concrete.

"Very interesting…" he muttered, rubbing his chin, making up his mind.

"Doctor?" he asked over his shoulder, "I think we have a new avenue of research to embark on."

The doctor glanced up from his microscope, a curious look on his face, but said nothing.

"We'll need some more experts," All for One stated, turning back to the still photo, "as well as some different quirks."

His smile grew perceptibly wider as he picked up the phone and began dialing. The phone rang once before it connected, but there was no answer.

"The video is approved. Send it to the right people. I want to flush him out," All for One ordered.

There was a momentary pause then, "_It shall be done,"_ a polite and calm male voice said before the line disconnected.

All for One placed the receiver down and steepled his fingers as his grin grew manic.

"Just who are you and what secrets do you have?" he asked, staring at the freeze-frame of the video.

* * *

Ochako glanced at her phone for the fifthteenth time in a minute, almost praying that _someone_ would send her a message or call or do _something. _Patience was never her strong suit, but it was strange that she hadn't heard from any of her friends yet. She shook her head in exasperation.

It was Sunday. They were all resting. Except Izuku, who never seemed tired, but he was probably busy with other stuff. Her thoughts drifted to their conversation a couple months back when he had told her his biggest secret. She still couldn't believe that he had all of that power now, even with him making steady progress with his copied quirks. He had confided in her, even telling her she was his best friend.

That last thought made her feel fuzzy inside, her normally rosy cheeks flushing a bit more. She shook her head, and slammed her face into her pillow as the memory of that hug hit her again. He was so warm and strong, making her feel safe.

And then he floated.

Ochako looked up at her phone again, and huffed in annoyance.

"Screw it," she muttered, grabbing her phone from the bedside table and flipping it open. She fired off a quick good morning to Izuku and then dropped her phone on the bed, hoping that he would text back soon.

She rolled over and stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought, a heated debate raging inside of her mind, oblivious to the subtle vibration of her phone notifying her of a new reply from Izuku.

* * *

Izuku smiled softly as he put his phone back in his pocket as he jogged to the train station. Ochako's text had only increased his good mood. A full stomach, a full night's rest, and anticipation for what Mei had in store for him made Izuku feel ready to take on anything.

He pushed through the turnstile, swiping his phone across the scanner, and walked to the platform, noting the next train was approaching. After a brief wait, he was on his way, and before he even had time to scour the latest Hero News, his stop was rapidly approaching.

He tried to contain his excitement as he got closer to Hatsume's shop, the anticipation getting to him. As he walked up the alley, he saw Elder Hatsume sweeping the front entryway. The older gentleman looked up as he approached, a wide smile forming on his face.

"Ah, Mr. Midorya, welcome back! I'm glad to see you again! Mei was up all night working, making sure the last minute alterations were complete."

"Ah, well, I hope it wasn't too much trouble," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

Hatsume waved him off, giving him a wide smile, "That's just Mei. Once she gets started, it's impossible to stop her. Now, please come in, let's test the fit and make sure it works for you."

Hatsume gestured Izuku into the shop, walking through the door into the workshop behind the front counter. Izuku followed, eyes wide at the now incredibly messy shop.

"Don't mind the mess. That's Mei's doing. Your new toy required some special tricks," Elder Hatsume said, catching Izuku's look before he stopped at a work bench with a black case on it, picking it up reverently. He turned back to face Izuku and spun the case in his hands, pulling the lid open. Izuku peered inside, mouth falling open at the masterpiece inside. A pearly white band in a horseshoe shape, thin near the middle then wider near the ends, with a light grey band set in the center of the band, going around the back. Hatsume chuckled at Izuku's look, nodding slightly. "I knew you would like it. It's one of Mei's finest."

Izuku glanced up at the engineer, "Where is Mei anyway? I figured she would be one to show me."

"Oh she is. She just passed out in the back," Hatsume said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder to a door in the back of the shop. "One sec. Mei! Get out here, our guest has arrived!" Hatsume called over his shoulder.

After a second or two, there was a loud crash, and a scurry of feet with an odd clunking noise, then the door flew open. Mei stepped out, a manic smile on her face, looking like she was running on fumes, her pink dreads all over the place, grease and soot coating her front. Izuku noted what looked like a metal bucket was attached to her foot, figuring that was the clunking noise. She took another step before kicking the bucket off, and sprinted across the shop, skidding to a halt right next to her grandfather.

"Oh good! You're back! I made the best baby for you! You are going to love it!" she burst out, excitement bubbling over, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she spun to look at her grandpa.

"Oh please, Grandpa, can I do it?" she begged. Izuku marvelled at how big she could make her eyes seem. Izuku decided that look should be illegal. She could use that look to rob a bank and get away scott free.

Elder Hatsume smiled and nodded, gently handing the case to her. "It's your work, you get to show it off," he said softly, pride radiating from him.

She beamed a gigawatt smile before laughing maniacally. Izuku wasn't sure if that smile and laugh was dangerous or not. She took the case in one hand, before grabbing Izuku's elbow and dragging him over to a comfortable looking leather barber's chair, a bemused smile on his face as the manic engineer, turned force of nature, had him at her whim.

"Sit down! I want to make sure the fit is right!" she ordered, practically shoving Izuku into the chair. After he was seated, she spun him around and gently pushed his head forward so his chin was touching his chest.

"Hm… you have a lot of hair… let's see if we need to trim it a bit," she muttered.

Izuku started.

"Uh, what?!" His head popped up, looking over his shoulder at her in fear. She was next to a counter, opening the case and smiling softly at the device inside, oblivious that her client had said anything. She reached into the case, and pulled the device out of the foam insert in an almost reverent fashion, like the thin metal band was something to be treasured.

She looked over at him, smiling brightly, holding up the headset so he could see. "This is your Interface, as I call it. It reads your nervous system through magnetic resonance in the back of the band, against your neck, and should be able to tell you everything you need to know about your power usage. Plus a bunch of other features I added," she explained, walking around to the front of the chair, holding it out for Izuku to take.

Izuku took the band, and looked it over. The metal was pearlescent white on the outside, but black and silver on the inside. The silver parts appeared to make contact with the back of his neck at the base of his skull and at his temple, just in front of his ears. The grey band on the outside went the full circumference of the band, ending on the two larger protrusions in the front.

"It's beautiful," Izuku said in awe, turning the device over in his hands, "Are you sure it's not jewelry? It looks way too… sparkly for what I had in mind."

Mei scoffed, her smile growing a bit as he looked up at her in surprise. "My babies are tough as old boots. And fashion and function are _not_ mutually exclusive." She took the Interface from him, and walked around the chair.

"Once you get to be a big name Hero and get famous, you'll tell people where you got it, and I'll get rich from everyone wanting their own tech!" she said with a manic laugh, making Izuku chuckle as he bowed his head again.

Mei reached forward, and slid the Interface over the back of his head, the cool metal sending chills down Izuku's spine. Once it was in place, she checked to make sure his hair was out of the way, her fingers running through the soft green locks. Izuku felt more chills down his spine as her fingers moved his hair, her nails gently scratching his scalp, his eyes threatening to roll into his head from the tingling sensation. A shiver through his body made her pull back with a giggle.

"Sorry," he mumbled, glancing back at her, but she only smiled and nodded.

"That should do it. It's in place. Give it a minute to build up a charge," she explained. "After that, it will take care of the rest."

Izuku nodded and let the Interface settle down. It was a lot lighter on his head than he thought it was going to be. He felt a sudden spike in the cool feeling on the back of his head as it settled then adjusted automatically, using the magnets to find the optimal position on his neck, flexing slightly. The part around his temple flexed a bit, finding the optimal area, then settled and cooled. After it stopped moving, he reached up and ran his fingers over the band, feeling the cool metal that was now going from his temple, back towards his ear, then angling down a little, cupped the base of his skull, and swung back up to the other side of his head.

He shook his head in surprise, noting that he could barely tell it was there, it was so light.

"How does it look?" he asked, turning to look at Mei and Elder Hatsume.

"So cool," she said in a low voice.

Elder Hatsume nodded in agreement, a bright smile on his face. "How does it feel?" he asked.

"It fits great. How did you make it automatically adjust itself?" Izuku asked. Mei leaned in, studying the device, a green glow moving across her face, as the originally grey bar around the band lit up bright neon green as the device fully powered on.

Mei smiled a toothy grin, nodding in approval, "Magnetics and your own static electricity. The device is powered by you. Just by being attached to your skin, it will sip power from your body heat and static electricity."

"That's…amazing," Izuku said in awe, amazed that she was able to craft such a device.

"My babies are all amazing! This one is just the best!" Mei said, her excitement returning with gusto. "Now, let's go over the features!"

She reached up and touched the Interface on the sides of his face, "There aren't any physical buttons, it's thought controlled. Just think about what you want it to do, and it will do it. For example, think 'Screen', and the built-in holographic screen screen will activate."

She stepped back, her smile radiating brightly.

Izuku nodded and mirrored her smile. He thought '_Screen'_, and a faint neon green band of light popped up in front of his eyes, the light covering a good portion of his face like a visor. He focused his eyes on the screen and could see a HUD around the sides of the display that showed his heart rate in the corner, a battery showing one hundred percent, as well as a compass and status symbols at the top-center of the screen, and a minimap in the opposite corner of his heart rate.

"Mei, this is...absolutely amazing...I've never seen anything like this!" Izuku said in awe, absolutely blown away by the design.

"Thank you! But that's only a part of what it can do. It's waterproof, heat resistant, and crush resistant. It's got Bluetooth, so you can connect your phone, and bone transduction audio, so you can still listen to everything around you, while listening to what's playing through the Interface," she explained, counting off with her fingers.

He stared at her, dubiously. "Bluetooth?"

"What? Everything's better with Bluetooth!" she exclaimed.

Izuku chuckled, nodding in agreement.

"Is there anything else I need to know about?" He asked her as he deactivated the screen with a thought, smiling at how easy the device was to use.

"That's it for now, though if you think of new things to add, just come visit me again!" she said excitedly.

"Oh I definitely will do that. I have a bunch of ideas for more support gear, especially once I get into UA and become a hero." Izuku said, chuckling softly.

"Oh yay! More amazing babies! Please let me keep making stuff for you! I want to be your exclusive technician!" she exclaimed, bouncing a bit in her excitement.

"Easy now, Mei. Give the young man some room," Elder Hatsume interjected, grabbing Mei by her shoulders. "You have cleaning to do before you can make anything else. Remember the deal?"

Mei pulled her eyes from Izuku, and groaned in dismay, "Yes, Grandpa…" she bemoaned dejectedly, turning away from Izuku to begin cleaning up, yawning widely now that the excitement was over.

Izuku shared a smile with Elder Hatsume as he pulled himself up from the chair. He went for a handshake from the gentleman, "Thank you again. This means a lot," Izuku said fervently.

"It was our pleasure," Hatsume said, returning the strong handshake. He glanced over his shoulder at Mei, who was half-heartedly working a broom across the floor, "I know we both had fun working on it."

Izuku nodded and walked over to Mei, who looked up at him, her piercing yellow eyes studying him as she smiled. "Thanks for the idea. It was fun. Be sure to come back!"

"I will!" Izuku said, nodding. A sudden idea hit him. "Say, uh, could I get your number? For ideas, and such? It'd be really nice to keep in touch."

Mei's gigawatt smile returned in full force and she nodded rapidly. "Sure! OH! Try this! Connect the Interface to your phone," she directed, "then" —she scribbled a phone number on a piece of paper— "think 'scan', and scan my number with the onboard cameras!"

Izuku blinked in surprise.

"Sorry, I forgot to mention that feature," she said sheepishly.

He chuckled and pulled out his phone. Mei walked him through the simple pairing process, and a couple of seconds later, he had access to his texts, calls and history, even pictures and music. There was even a new icon for web access on the bottom toolbar of the Interface.

"Man, this thing has just about everything," he muttered. Mei's smile grew wider, if that was even possible.

"Now, look down at the paper, and think 'Scan.'"

He did so, and the screen showed a scanner bar transposed over the paper, then a complete replication of the phone number on the screen. A new box opened after the software recognized the information as a phone number and automatically added it to a new contact.

Izuku thought about a keyboard, but nothing happened.

"How do I input text?" he asked, glancing down at her.

"Just think about the words or letters," she explained, bouncing with obvious excitement.

He thought about her name, and the software automatically input Mei's name, and saved the contact.

"This is incredible, Mei! It's an amazing tool!" he exclaimed. Izuku was so excited to play around it, his mind immediately going to his hero notes, and how much easier it would be with the Interface.

"I'm glad you think so! I can't wait to make more babies for you!" she said excitedly.

"Soon! But first, you should probably finish cleaning before your grandpa gets mad at you," Izuku said with a teasing smirk. The cute pout he got from her was almost worth it. After saying his final goodbyes to the Hatsumes, he started the walk back to the train station, fiddling with the settings on the Interface and testing the different features.

He had to stop walking about halfway there though, as there was soft chime from the Interface, a notification of a new text message. He called up the screen, and focused on the messaging icon, smiling in surprise at the sender's name and contents of the text, eyes widening as he read.

Ochako - 10:32 am

Hey! Sooo…

Wanna grab dinner together?

* * *

Ochako's foot twitched slightly, a nervous tick she picked up from somewhere, as she looked up from her phone and scanned the square. From her seat in front of the small cafe, she could see just about everything, so she was perfectly placed to see when Izuku would show up.

She huffed in frustration, not at anyone else, only herself. She was so nervous about this first date that she had arrived almost twenty minutes early. It was her own fault that she told Izuku five o'clock, and she didn't have anyone else to blame. She glanced down at her phone's clock again.

4:48 pm

She groaned and let her head fall into her arms on the table in exasperation. Why was she so nervous? It was just Izuku. He was her best friend. They'd been friends since before either of them could remember. She even had the whole thing planned out. Dinner at a place they had never been before, then indoor skating, which neither of them had ever done, then tea afterwards. It was going to be great. So why was she _so_ nervous?

"Hi there, Ochako."

Izuku's voice, a couple of feet away, made her jump up, his greeting startling her from her reverie. She looked up at him with wide eyes, before his wide smile brought her own out. His arms were open for a hug, and she wasn't going to miss the opportunity. She leaned forward and squeezed him tight, whispering gently, "Hi Izuku."

She pulled back after a second, immediately missing the feeling of Izuku's warm, strong embrace. She coughed slightly, and smiled as she gestured to the chair across from hers for Izuku.

"I haven't ordered yet, I wanted to wait," she said as they sat down, her eyes latching onto his face. Something was different. But she couldn't place what.

His smile was reassuring. "Thanks!" he said, glancing down at the menu on the table. "Great idea, by the way. I've heard good things about this place," he said excitedly, glancing up at her again.

She felt warm from his praise. Or was it the August sun that was just starting to set? Either way, she liked it.

"Same here!" she said, pulling away from staring at Izuku, and looking over the menu. "I hope their desserts are as good as the pictures make them look," she said, eyes going wide with hunger at the delectable choices.

Izuku chuckled as he nodded, "The cake does look good. I hope you don't mind if I get some food. I'm famished," he said softly, glancing at her questioningly.

Ochako smiled as she glanced back up at him and shook her head, "I know you. Go ahead."

Izuku nodded, "And don't worry about getting this. It's on me," he added.

Ochako frowned, a bit of indignation rising up through the happiness.

"No, Izuku, I invited you. I'm paying," she said adamantly.

Izuku cocked an eyebrow at her, as if challenging her.

"How about this? Since I know I'm going to eat, I'll cover dinner, then you can take care of skating and tea and dessert. Is that fair?" he asked, his eyebrow raised.

She gave it a quick thought. Izuku could eat a lot, and that was likely going to be a large sum. At least he was compromising.

"That's fine, but I swear, if you try and pay for anything else, I will make you hurt on the mat tomorrow," she said, a strange conviction rising up.

He blinked in surprise then smiled brightly, chuckling softly, "Deal."

She nodded once, putting a final nail in that conversation. She looked over him again as he looked at the menu once more. There was definitely something off about his look. What was…

"Izuku, what's that thing around your head?" Ochako asked, leaning to the side to get a better look.

Izuku glanced up at her and smiled. "Oh, just a new piece of tech. Nothing important," he said nonchalantly.

He continued to look at her, his smirk growing a bit, and then a bright green flash of light signalled the visor popping into place in front of his eyes, making Ochako jump in surprise.

She stared at him for a second, "Nothing important at all?" she asked, quirking up an eyebrow.

"Yup," he said, nodding. "Just a new heads up display that monitors my power and connects to my phone," —he waved his hands nonchalantly— "No big deal."

They stared at each other for a second and then they both burst out laughing. The waiter came a second later, and they each placed their orders. Ochako was immediately grateful that Izuku was covering dinner; his order was almost three times her own.

* * *

After dinner, they walked to the indoor skating rink a couple of blocks away. It was a little more popular than Ochako had thought it would be, families and other couples milling about inside, but she soldiered on, and was adamant that Izuku sit in the waiting area so she could pay for their skate rentals. After they got their skates and were sitting next to the rink, Ochako's nerves kicked in, shivering a bit from the cold and the fear of embarrassing herself. She didn't know what to expect, but Izuku's smile helped quell a little fear.

He held out one of his large hands as he stood up, skates already tied on tight. She smiled shakily as she grabbed his hand.

"C'mon, Ochako. It's gonna be fun," Izuku said, his knowing smirk partially infuriating, partially exhilarating. "Do you trust me?"

She stared up into his bright green eyes, a faint flicker of light behind them. She nodded, her smile filling out as she stood up, wobbling for a second before she found her balance. He watched her closely as they walked out onto the ice, hand in hand, the warmth from his making her feel light as a feather.

"It's just a pushing motion," Izuku instructed, pointing down at his feet as he began pulling along on the ice.

"H-how did you know t-that!?" Ochako asked, stammering through her words as she followed along, pushing off at an angle with her right foot first.

Izuku blushed a bit, giving her a shy smile. "Ah, um… well, my Interface has internet and I looked up how to skate while you were getting our skates," he said sheepishly.

Ochako blinked and smiled brightly. "Great! Then you must be an expert already!" she said, nudging Izuku in the side slightly, giggling as Izuku blushed further. He shook his head and pushed on, Ochako smiling brightly at him as they slowly made their way around the rink.

"So, I think I made a breakthrough earlier," Ochako said cautiously, glancing up at Izuku. He looked over at her curiously.

"Oh?" he asked, his excitement visible in his eyes.

She smiled sheepishly and nodded. "I was finally able to make a small stone heavier," she explained. "It was really tough though. Like…" She put a finger to her chin, thinking of the right way to explain it. "It's like my quirk was fighting me. It didn't want to make things heavier."

Izuku quirked up an eyebrow, his curiosity growing.

"I'm probably not explaining it properly," she said, waving it off, "anyway, I'm gonna keep working on it."

Izuku smiled, "Well, I'm excited to see you stretching your quirk. It'll be really neat to see just how far you can push it." He glanced around the skating arena, briefing staring at a laughing girl with pink skin who was pushing around a very nervous girl with bright red spiky hair, before turning his attention back to Ochako.

She eyed his Interface as he looked around and turned back to look at her. "So… tell me about the new head gear!" she exclaimed, eyes twinkling with excitement.

Izuku's smile broadened and he launched into a detailed retelling of his encounter with Mei and her grandfather, how the crazed inventor was able to make something so impressive, and how talented she was.

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Ochako said in a teasing tone, a slight pang of envy at the way Izuku had talked about Mei. She couldn't hope to be as creative as someone like that, and it was obvious that Izuku was interested. "Do I need to be concerned, _Deku_?"

Izuku stared at her with a mix of concern and incredulity. "She just made me a piece of tech, Ochako, I'm not pining for her."

"Hmmmmm…." Ochako hummed, squinting up at him, as if judging and scanning him. "That wasn't a no, but that just means that I'll have to work harder to keep your interest," she said, giving him a sideways glance.

Izuku stopped skating, pulling them to a stop and swinging her around into his arms, wrapping her up in a warm hug. He gazed down into her deep brown eyes, like pools of dark, sweet honey. She held her breath slightly, the warm contact feeling wonderful.

"Ochako…" he said, "you don't have to do anything to keep me interested." His eyes flicked between hers. "I'm… well… I like you. Nothing less, nothing more," he said, blushing as he subtly confessed..

"I was teasing," she said softly, touched by his earnesty, a soft smile on her face, "I like you too, Izuku. A lot."

They shared a tender moment of silence, tension between them rising before they were interrupted by a yelp, looking over to see the spiky red-hair girl spinning on her back on the ice, her pink friend doubled over with laughter.

Izuku smiled nervously, and released Ochako from the warm hug, pulling her along as they continued skating. "So, I was thinking…" Izuku said, trailing off as he gathered his thoughts.

"Careful, that's dangerous," Ochako said lightly, laughing at Izuku's chagrin smile.

"_Anyway…_ I was thinking about UA," Izuku continued after huffing in fake annoyance, "We have a little more than two years before we can apply. What do you think it will be like?"

Ochako smiled brightly, "Mom always said that it was the best thing that happened to her," she exclaimed happily, "She met Dad and all of our parents there. She loved the campus, though she did say they were expanding after the quake," she finished, a thoughtful finger on her chin.

Izuku nodded, "Yeah, I remember Dad saying something similar. His office was trashed."

"So, I don't know what to expect! It could be entirely different now!" Ochako said excitedly, "Either way, I'm excited! Training with Uncle Enji is great, but I want to see what the other pros can teach us!"

Izuku smiled and nodded in agreement, "It's gonna be great!"

They continued to lazily circle the rink, dodging other couples and families, discussing different ideas of what UA would be like. Soon enough though, Ochako was beginning to feel the wear and tear from balancing so much, and signalling her defeat, she pulled Izuku off the rink.

"That was a ton of fun!" she said as she pulled her last skate off, "I was really worried about falling, but that was a lot easier than I thought it would be!" She stood up and slipped on her sneakers, bouncing slightly as she stretched.

Izuku looked up at her as she bounced lightly in front of him. "See? I told you it would be fun. I wasn't going to let you down," he said, his smile matching hers as he reached up, touching the side of her thigh for a brief second. The contact was simple and quick, but Ochako loved it all the same.

She turned and stared down at him as he finished putting on his shoes and stood up, his eyes locked on hers as he stood over her, his much larger frame dwarfing her own. She nodded slowly. He was close. Very close. Her eyes flicked between his green irises, the faint glow now gone. She held her breath as he reached up and gently swept a stray strand of hair from her face, his fingers brushing her cheek lightly. The contact made her blush intensify, even more so when his other hand reached around her waist and he pulled her even closer as he leaned down.

She closed her eyes, her heart fluttering madly. Their lips made contact and Ochako could have flown to the moon, she was so happy. She let out a soft moan as they embraced, his body heat soaking into her.

He pulled back, much to her great regret, but she couldn't help but smile a megawatt smile as he gazed at her, his own smile shining brightly.

"Yeah, I like that," she said softly.

"Me too," he said, almost whispering.

Ochako's heart was fit to burst, she was so happy.

* * *

"Hey!"

Ochako exclaimed, jabbing a finger into his bicep, "I just realized! You used Zero Gravity on me!"

Izuku's sheepish grin only confirmed her suspicions.

"I knew it! I saw your eyes light up, and then I didn't have any problems keeping my balance! You made it so I couldn't fall!" she said accusatorially, her eyes squinted, her finger threatening to poke him again.

He rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Well, I just wanted you to have a good time, and I've been practicing with the degree of control, so…"

"Hmphf…" she huffed, "still… you used my own quirk on me." She gave him a fake glare of annoyance, which turned into a real glare of annoyance as his sheepish smile turned into his annoying, super-cute smirk.

"You wipe that smirk of your face and drink your tea, _sir_," Ochako said, turning back to her own mug and cookies, turning her nose up at him.

"Oh, why, yes _ma'am_," Izuku said, laying on the sarcasm and facetiousness extra thick as he swept an arm out in a short bow, glancing up at her with one eye open.

Her side eye glare was enough to make him stop, smiling as he saw her haughty facade crack from his theatrics. They laughed together, enjoying each other's company and the sound of the cafe in the evening night.

"I'm really glad you invited me out, Ochako," Izuku said quietly, staring at his cup of tea. "It's… well… it's really nice to just spend time with you," he finished, looking up at her.

She smiled brightly, nodding, "Same. I'm glad we could do this." She hesitated for a moment, before mentally smacking herself for holding back.

"I really like you, Izuku. I always have, ever since we were small," she confessed, letting herself be vulnerable for once, watching him carefully as his face went from pensive to smiling.

"I like you a lot too, Ochako," he said softly, "and I think I've known that for a while too. It just only really settled in recently." He reached across the table, taking her hand in his, squeezing gently, both of them sharing a smile.

The rest of the date progressed faster than either of them wanted, time flying by, but the walk home, hand in hand, and the subsequent kiss goodnight as Izuku dropped Ochako off at her home more than made the night perfect.

Izuku walked home afterwards, a slight swagger to his step, his smile and heart lighter than it had been in weeks.

* * *

"Well, why don't we go to the movies? There is that marathon of the old superhero movies playing again," Ochako suggested, glancing at Izuku, her cheeks glowing a little more red. She knew the hero nerd would jump at the chance to rewatch his favorite series again. A week after their first date, and she was still kinda nervous around him.

"No fucking way. Thirty-seven movies is too fucking much," Katsuki said, a slight growl to his voice, "Even if the _nerd_ can handle it, he gets too excited. He always gets wired about Iron Man and Captain America. No fucking way am I sitting through that again."

"That hurts, Kacchan," Izuku said, pouting slightly at being called out like that. "But we should choose a place where we can have fun and get to know Hatsume."

"We could always go get lunch," Shoko said quietly, watching the rest of the group from her perch on the couch arm. The group of teenagers were lounging around the Todorokis' living room, enjoying a day off. "Food is a great way to help break the ice."

"That's basically a given," Shoto said from his father's armchair, glancing over his book at Izuku. "Breakfast was only an hour ago."

Right on cue, Izuku's stomach growled angrily. He looked sheepishly as Shoko and Ochako giggled, while Katsuki rolled his eyes, giving Izuku a knowing smirk.

"How about the arcade then?" Izuku asked, "They just added that new 5-D simulation game."

"As long as I get to take another crack at your top score on _Area 51_, I'm _down_," Katsuki jeered at Izuku, eyes flashing competitively. Izuku smiled wide, eyebrows raised in a teasing manner.

"And it's not too expensive!" Ochako piped in, looking hopeful.

"'Chako," Shoko said, rolling her eyes, looking at her best friend. "You know you don't have to worry about that, right?"

Ochako blushed further, and poked her pointer fingers together nervously, nodding slowly, "I just don't want you guys paying for me, is all. And that'll be a great place to meet Izuku's new friend."

"So, lunch then arcade?" Shoto said, putting down the book and stretching. He looked around the room, and didn't see any objections. He nodded. "Then it's settled."

"I'll let her know!" Izuku said cheerfully, the Interface popping up in front of him, ready to compose his message to Mei.

* * *

Mei Hatsume was not one to spend time away from the workshop, as Izuku had come to learn after talking to her grandfather. The elder Hatsume had to practically drag the pinkette out by her feet when Izuku showed up to pick her up. He felt a little sorry for her as she pleaded with her grandfather to not kick her out of the shop, but smiled all the same as she huffed in annoyance as the door closed and locked in her face.

"It's not gonna be that bad, Mei," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head as he watched her turn away from the shop and trudge towards him.

"It's not that," she said in a defeated, slightly whiny tone, fiddling with the crisp white button down shirt that her grandpa had thrown at her. "I just wanted to finish my latest baby before leaving. Why do you have to be so punctual?" She gave him a half-hearted glare of contempt, as if it was his fault. She pulled the shirt on over her head, covering her tank-top loosely, and Izuku noticed that she was actually clean for once. Elder Hatsume must have threatened to close down the shop in order for her to remove the grease from her skin and clothes.

Izuku chuckled. "Dad is always on time no matter what he's fighting. I guess it rubbed off on me," he said nonchalantly, shrugging as he turned to walk next to her to the train station.

"Yeah, well, it sucks," she spat back, huffing again and crossing her arms. "_Couldn't even hook up the power modulator, let alone the tensioner…" _she mumbled under her breath, throwing more glares at Izuku. "Where are we going, anyway? Your text said something about hanging out?"

Izuku grinned, and looked down at her, noting the excited look in her eyes. He'd put money down that she probably never spent time with anyone except her grandfather, and probably had a hard time making friends. Another pang of sorrow for her shot through him. He turned back to the direction they were walking, choosing his words carefully.

"Well, I'd thought we'd try lunch and then an arcade. And," he glanced over at her, "If it's not too much for you, I'd like you to meet my friends. They are interested in meeting you."

Mei's eyes widened slightly, her crosshair pupils roaming his face, her smile bursting wide. "Yes! More people to make babies for! I bet your friends are super powerful, like you! And I bet you guys will be big-time heroes! AHH! Come on! Let's go!"

She grabbed Izuku's arm and pulled him along with a strength that surprised him. He laughed and leaned down, scooping her up into his arms. She shrieked with shock and glee and wrapped her arms around his neck as he took off at high speed, sprinting the rest of the way to the train station, Mei laughing maniacally.

* * *

The arcade was a little busier than Izuku had expected, families milling about with young children playing games, or couples teaming up on the various games that were available. He looked around as he waited at the counter, the attendant getting their passes ready.

Lunch had been quick. Introductions were made, with Mei fawning over each of the new people she had met, learning about their quirks, taking special attention to Ochako and Katsuki as their quirks intrigued her. They had picked a small noodle shop, and spent most of time listening to Mei describe her different ideas, each of them realizing that once you opened the Pandora's Box that was Mei, she was a ball of unstoppable energy.

"Oooooo, but what if we gave you something like a grappling hook?"

Mei's voice drifted back into Izuku's consciousness, and he looked back at the group, waiting at a table, Mei looking at Ochako's fingers closely. She had been coming up with ideas for all of them non-stop since they left the restaurant, each one having their quirks taken into account and getting studied by the hyper mechanic. Much to Izuku's amusement, Katsuki seemed to brush her off at first, but his tune changed when Mei suggested a containment device for his sweat. The next thing they knew, Katsuki was actually having a conversation with her like a normal person. Izuku made sure to record the entire thing for posterity, eternally grateful to Mei for the recording feature of the Interface.

"Here you go, sir. Please have fun!" The friendly attendant said, handing him 6 plastic cards.

"Thanks!" Izuku said cheerfully, turning back to his friends, and passing out the passes to each of them.

"You ready for your score to crash and burn, _Deku?_" Katsuki said through a wicked smile.

"You're on, Kacchan," Izuku said, his confident smile blazing to life.

* * *

"_In other news, shocking new discoveries about the Musutafu Reactor Incident have come to light since it was first announced last month."_

The news broadcast playing on the TV hanging from the ceiling had been mostly ignored by everyone there, the volume of the large room overpowering the small TV speakers. But Izuku heard just enough to look up from the racing game he and Mei were playing in surprise and trepidation.

"_We can now confirm, thanks to anonymous sources, that there was more than one Hero on the scene of the dangerous and destructive events in the aftermath of the Musutafu Earthquake. In this video footage, it seems that an unknown Hero was assisting All Might!"_

The screen showed the male reporter in front of a looping video that featured All Might, and after a gesture from the reporter, it filled the screen. The video showed the end of the bright green laser that had been Izuku, with All Might and the rest of the works looking up in shock. The camera then swung around as the building collapsed, and All Might vanished from the frame, only to show up digging through the rubble. Then there was a single frame of dark green hair.

Izuku's eyes went wide with recognition. "Oh shit…" he said quietly, glancing around the room quickly.

"_If you happen to have any info leading to the finding of this mysterious hero, please…" _

The Interface pulsed softly, indicating an incoming call.

"H-hey, Dad," Izuku stammered as the call connected.

* * *

Izuku was pissed. Actually, that wasn't even close to just how upset he was. Enraged, perhaps. Livid, definitely.

But he was mad.

"I assure you, it's for the best, Young Midoriya," the small animal _thing_ behind the large wooden desk said shortly.

Izuku glared at him for a second, before swivelling his gaze to his father, who actually managed to look a little scared. They had been talking for the last two hours, pulling Izuku away from his time with his friends.

"You agreed to this?" Izuku accused, jabbing a finger at the folder on President Nezu's desk, the plan and documents neatly arranged.

Toshinori glanced at the folder and nodded, face looking forlorn, eyes sunken and sad. "I did, my son. Nezu is right. It's for the best. You need to vanish for a while. Someone is searching for you, and we have no idea what they want."

Izuku stared at the both of them for a few seconds, as if hoping that it was some sick and cruel joke, before finally letting out the breath he was subconsciously holding, trying to keep his temper in check.

"So… I disappear for a couple of years, stay on I-Island with Uncle Dave, and train until the entrance exam for UA," Izuku recounted, deflating slowly as he talked. He looked up at his father. "What about you and Mom?"

"We stay here. I need to maintain my presence," Toshinori said sadly, his heart breaking at his son's anger and disappointment. "But we will be visiting at least once a month, if not more. And you'll still be able to talk to your friends," he added, hopeful that it would help soften the blow.

"Yeah, while they get to graduate and hang out together, I'm stuck on the floating hockey puck," Izuku said sardonically. "When would I leave?"

"Well, you need to test out of high school before you go, which I'm quite positive you will be able to do, given your grades and test scores, but I would say about two months. Finish high school, at the very least." Nezu interjected, prompting a sideways glare from Izuku.

"Fine," Izuku retorted. He looked pensive for a second before looking between Nezu and his father. "I don't like this. Not at all. You haven't given me a choice in the matter," Izuku said sullenly.

"Izuku." His father's stern voice made him look up questioningly. "I know how you are feeling. You want to fight this head on. You want to prove yourself. You want to prove that you can handle anything thrown at you."

Izuku blinked. Toshinori's gaunt face was drawn back, a look of determination and a challenge in his eyes.

"But you need to realize that by not going you aren't just endangering yourself, but your friends and your family. You need to vanish to get the heat off of you, lest you be discovered as my son and my heir," Toshinori said with conviction. "You don't want anything happening to me or your mother, do you?" he finished with a knowing smile.

Izuku felt like a truck had hit him. Of course he didn't want his friends or his mother or his father to get hurt. A flash of a memory of his nightmare ran through his mind, Ochako disappearing into the sludge and the pain it caused made him quell it immediately.

He looked up at Nezu, resignation etched onto his face.

"Okay. Two years training, then. Keep a spot for me in the entrance exam," Izuku said, trying to sound confident in the face of such a low blow.

Nezu nodded, smiling brightly. "But of course, Mr. Midoriya. I can't wait to see you back here."

* * *

The last two months had passed by in what seemed like the blink of an eye to Izuku. Nezu had arranged for him to test out of the remainder of his classes, which had taken place spread out over a couple of weeks. With school out of the way, the only remaining obstacle was a convincing semi-public reason for him to leave.

Enter David Shield, long time friend of All Might, inventor extraordinaire, and one of the many council members on I-Island, the world's top research facility for quirks and related technology. When he posted that he was in need of new research interns, Izuku's application, provided by Nezu as well, was moved to the top of the pile. The decision was unanimous after seeing Izuku's perfect test scores and recommendations from top heroes, including All Might himself.

Of course, David had known Izuku since he was born, but no one outside of All Might's inner circle knew that truth. Even Izuku's friends didn't know, so the announcement of his internship was quite the surprise to all of them, especially Ochako and Mei.

While Mei had been ecstatic to hear that he was going to intern with _the_ David Shield and begged to go with him, Ochako had been much more reserved. A week after he had broken the news, they met up for their fifth date, just coffee and a casual walk around a local park in the early morning. Now that it was October, things were beginning to cool down, and Ochako was bundled up in a heavy coat.

"It's just so far, Deku," she said, watching the clouds drift by as they sat together on a comfy bench in the park. Izuku had pulled her close to him, and adjusted his body temp a bit higher for her own comfort. She sighed as his warmth seeped into her chilled legs and side.

"I know. But at least we'll be able to talk every day," Izuku replied. "And it's not like I won't be coming back. The internship is only for two years. After that, I come back and then we all go to UA together."

Ochako was silent for a minute. He looked down at her, noting her pensive face. "Two whole years," she said softly. "I don't know, Deku. It's a long time apart." She looked up at him curiously. "Will you be able to handle it?" she asked.

Izuku smiled, "You know it's not a full two years, right? There is the yearly expo, and Mom and Dad said that you are free to travel with them whenever they make the trip."

She blushed slightly, "I'm still getting over the fact that our parents basically predicted that we'd get together. I'm not about to ask them to go to I-Island with them," she said sheepishly, hunkering down into her scarf and jacket to hide her embarrassment.

Izuku chuckled, "Yeah, I can still hear my mom yelling with joy. You know my mom had a bet with Aunt Mitsuki? I guess she won."

Ochako giggled, and glanced at her watch. Izuku noted that it was a new smartwatch, but said nothing.

She sighed and sat up straight, but didn't get up, still soaking up his extra heat. "Well, if we are going to do this today, then we better get moving. I gotta go home and do some more studying, but I'll meet you all later."

Izuku leaned down, meeting her gaze, and they shared a tender kiss, Izuku's breath steaming in the chilly morning air. She smiled as they broke the kiss, and stood up quickly, walking off towards the train station, while Izuku watched her leave.

It was the last day before he had to leave. They were going to hang out as a group one more time that afternoon. He knew he would miss them all sorely, having been with them for as long as he knew them, and the long lead time wasn't helping. He just wanted it to be over with already.

A text from Shoko broke him out of his reverie, the Interface pulsing at the notification. The display flipped up with a thought, and he smiled and rolled his eyes as he read her plea for help from the boredom of studying. At least he didn't have to deal with that anymore; he certainly didn't miss schoolwork. He sent a reply in the affirmative and stood up and stretched before heading off to rescue Shoko from the doldrums.

* * *

The muffled yelling coming from the Bakugo household was something almost endearing to Izuku. His friend always fired back with everything that was shot at him, and it was always a pleasure to watch Mitsuki Bakugo knock her son down a notch or two. As Izuku and Shoko stood on the steps outside the house, they shared an exasperated smile as Mitsuki yelled back before she opened the door.

"Hey kids, come on in," she said politely, smiling wide as she gestured them in. "KATSUKI, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE! YOUR FRIENDS ARE WAITING!"

"SHUT UP, HAG! I FUCKING KNOW!" came back the retort, followed by an explosive door slam.

Izuku and Shoko just smiled and waited in the entryway, nodding hello to Masaru as he moved quietly into the living room from the kitchen.

"DON'T CALL ME HAG, BRAT!" Mitsuki fired back up the stairs, turning back to the two other teens. "So, heading to the mall for one last hang out, right?" Izuku and Shoko nodded, still smiling politely. "I heard that it finally reopened. 'Bout time, too." Mitsuki turned around, looking at her butt. "It's just about time for me to go get new winter clothes." She glanced back, smirking at Izuku's faint blush and rapid glance away. Shoko giggled at his reaction, earning a wink from Mitsuki.

There was loud stomping from the stairs, and they turned to see Katsuki's thick black boots stomping their way down.

"EASY ON THE FUCKING—" Mitsuki started to shout, coming to an abrupt stop as Katsuki's face was brought into the light.

His eyes were in a tight scowl and surrounded by a flawless application of dark eyeliner, brushed on smoothly with no apparent smudges or blemishes. The effect made his already serious and catching eyes look even more pronounced, the ruby red of his irises popping out vividly.

"What?" he snapped, glancing from Mitsuki to Shoko to Izuku, all three of them in their own surprised silence.

"Where," a low growl from Mitsuki rumbled out, her eyes squinting in rage, "did you get the eyeliner, _Katsuki?_" she asked, a hint of venom in her voice now. "That better not be _mine."_

Katsuki froze, almost all of his rage melting to give way to blank confusion. Countless thoughts churned behind his scarlet eyes before they widened. For the second time in his life, Izuku saw an emotion cross Katsuki's face: fear.

"N-no," he managed to stammer out, his voice a mix of growling in anger and wavering in fear, before he took another step forward, and the fear vanished. "NO!" he roared back, "LIKE I'D EVER STEAL ANYTHING!" Izuku recognized the stance Katsuki had shifted into. Defensive, ready to move at a moment's notice, like a cornered animal baring its fangs as it desperately searched for an escape route.

Mitsuki was more than used to her son's almost hostile tone and stepped towards him to put more pressure into her words. "THEN WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET IT? IT SURE AS SHIT ISN'T YOURS, SO WHO—"

"FUCK OFF, HAG!" Katsuki interrupted and took another step towards his mother, the two nose to nose as both refused to show weakness towards the other. "I'M NOT A FUCKING THIEF, AND YOU DON'T KNOW JACKSH—"

"I THINK IT LOOKS GREAT!"

Izuku blinked, and looked down at Shoko beside him. He had never heard her yell before, hell, she never talked at a level above normal conversation. Teachers had given up on calling on her to read because no one could hear her, so to hear her interrupt the howler monkeys that were the Bakugos was something new entirely.

"I mean…" her voice small again, now the center of attention, everyone's eyes on her. "It's way better than anything I could do."

Mitsuki was the first to snap back to reality. "Well, of course it looks great. It's fucking perfect." She gestured to Katsuki's face, "He got the feathering right, and the shade is a match for his eyes."

Katsuki's eyes grew wide as his mother continued, staring back at her in shock. Shoko nodded, and nudged Izuku in the side. Izuku glanced between the three of them, utterly confused and bewildered.

"Uh, yeah! Looks great!" he said shortly, smiling and giving Katsuki a thumbs up, earning an eye roll from Shoko.

"It's pissing me off, that's how good it is," Mitsuki said finally and turned her attention back towards Katsuki. In a much calmer, yet still stern voice, she continued, "So, Katsuki, where—"

"It's mine." If Izuku hadn't been staring at Katsuki, he might not have recognized the unsure and rushed statement coming out of him. Unbidden, a mental image of a shaking Katsuki glaring at a broken sandbag came to the forefront of Izuku's mind. "I bought it myself. That's what the package last week had in it."

Mitsuki hummed. "No wonder you were so secretive of it. Solves that mystery." In a quieter tone, more to herself, she added, "Dammit, looks like I owe Masaru a hundred yen…" She turned away from the teens to join Masaru in the kitchen. "Go have fun. Be home on time, brat_._ You have your finals next week."

"I know, _Mom,_" Katsuki said as he walked down the rest of the stairs and pushed past Izuku and Shoko, who waved goodbye to the Bakugos and followed after their friend.

The calmer duo shared a look behind Katsuki's back, both of them catching the subtle twitch of the explosive blonde's fingers, as though he was trying to keep his quirk under control. While both of them had questions for their friend, all three of them knew no one would get answers today. Instead, Izuku and Shoko resolved to put the event behind them and focus on the afternoon ahead.

* * *

Izuku followed his friends into the newly reconstructed shopping mall in the center of Musutafu. The massive complex had seen significant damage from the earthquake just a couple months prior, and was finally open to the public again, now that repairs were complete.

"Woooow," Mei said in awe, her eyes zooming all over the place, taking in the many shops, "this place is huge! I bet they have a great place for tools!" She made a mad dash for the map in the entrance way, scanning over it rapidly.

"Mei," Izuku called after her exasperatedly, "we're here to hang out and get stuff for winter!"

"B-but," she whined sadly, turning to look at him with huge puppy eyes, as if Izuku had shot her dream down and stomped on it.

"Nope, no, not fair," Izuku said, shaking his head and waving his hands as the rest of the group laughed.

"Well, I'm gonna find some stuff. Catch you losers later," Katsuki said gruffly, turning towards one of the department stores. Izuku and Ochako watched him go, before glancing at each other and shrugging.

"I'm going to go find some skates and a jacket," Shoto said shortly, taking off for one of the sporting goods stores.

"And then there were four," Izuku said, a little sad that his friends just left like that. He was looking forward to spending time with everyone before…

He squashed that train of thought with a grimace. This was supposed to be fun and happy, not bleak and depressing. He forced a smile onto his face, and glanced back at Shoko and Ochako, both of them planning out their trip through the mall, maximizing their time by hitting specific stores in a certain order.

"Well, I guess I'll come with you," he said to Mei who had moved next to him, looking around some more.

"Hm?" she hummed questioningly, looking up at him, "Oh, I'm going with 'Chako and 'Ko. They said something about new clothes."

"Yup!" Ochako said, turning away from the map, eyes glinting with excitement as she looked at him expectantly, "and you're coming with us."

The tone in her voice definitely made it seem like he had no choice in the matter, but as he had already decided to follow them anyway, it didn't bother him.

"Whew," Izuku said facetiously, mimicking wiping his brow, "I don't know what I would have done instead."

Ochako smirked back at him knowingly, and he grinned, guffawing at his lame joke.

"Well, good," Shoko said, walking over and grabbing his hand in a rare bold move, pulling him along as the three women began heading towards their first destination. "We need a bag holder. And we all know that you won't get tired."

Izuku's chuckling stopped and a drop of sweat fell from his brow. Just what had he gotten himself into?

* * *

A _really_ good time.

That's what he had gotten himself into. He couldn't deny it. The girls were fun to hang out with. Ochako was lovey, Mei was hyper, and Shoko was calm enough to keep the others in check. They walked from shop to shop, each girl stopping at their preferred location, with Izuku fawning over the tech shops with Mei, the two nerds geeking out over support items or cool new ideas, leaving Ochako and Shoko to stand outside bemusedly, watching them with knowing smiles.

More than once, Mei had to be dragged out of a store because she refused to leave some new tool until she had learned everything she could from it. Not that Ochako and Shoko were much different, much to Mei's dismay. The outfits that Mei was used to consisted of tank tops and grubby overalls. Those dresses and shirts and other girly things were beyond her.

But Izuku couldn't help but enjoy the show as they tried on different clothes, appraising each one of them in turn, each girl giving him a thankful smile for his input. Soon enough the bags started piling up, and Izuku took on his task as baggage handler. It wasn't until the fourth store that Izuku noticed something that had been bothering him for a bit.

"Ochako," he said in a low voice, leaning down to talk in her ear. She glanced up at him as she placed a plastic card into the card machine, the attendant bowing as the transaction completed. "How are you paying for this? You are normally saving your money and shopping the deals." Izuku said, glancing down at the designer clothes she was buying without a second thought.

Her face flushed red, and she glanced over at Shoko and Mei, making sure they were focused elsewhere. "Well, um…" she faltered. "Mom and Dad's business is doing really well. You know, the earthquake and all that." She glanced back down at the plastic card in her hand. "They are giving me an allowance now, and… well… I can get nice things now."

She looked up at him, a worried look on her face, "But I don't want you to think that I'm going to stop being a hero because of it!"

Izuku cracked a smile and chuckled softly, "I wasn't thinking that at all!" He picked up her latest bag, "If anything, this means that you can just focus on being a hero without having to worry about the money. That must be freeing," he said thoughtfully, glancing down at her as they started walking out of the store.

"Yeah, I guess so," she said softly, "But I don't want it to change anything!" She started waving her hands, "I'm still me! My parents are just in a really good place right now."

Izuku smiled and nodded, "I bet being best friends with the number one, two, and three heroes definitely helped a bit."

Ochako stopped and looked surprised. "I… didn't think of that. I thought that because they were local, people were picking them." Her face fell slightly, "I was hoping that they were going to be sought after because of that."

Izuku grimaced at her sudden sadness, "Ah, that's not what I meant, Ochako. I know Dad recommended them, is all. He talked to Mom about it a couple weeks back. It's not like he has any say in what people choose."

He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his pictures, stopping on one of her parents' business cards.

"He was giving out their cards to businesses he was helping," he explained.

Ochako's eyes widened, a small smile forming, "Oh, that's way different then. With _his_ recommendation, then people would definitely seek them out."

Izuku nodded, "Yeah, exactly!"

She smiled brightly up at him, and reached up, pulling him down for a long kiss.

"Come on, love-birds!" Mei called out, interrupting them brashly, "Up next is the food court!"

Right on cue, Izuku's stomach rumbled louding, prompting the girls to laugh as Izuku grinned in exasperation.


End file.
